While Jay is only hitting .210 with seven extra-base hits during this injury-impacted season, his postseason history offers reason for optimism. He hit .483 in last year’s playoffs.

“It’s a good feeling,” Jay said. “It’s my fifth year of being on the roster. I’m excited for that. I’m looking forward to helping this team win.”

Signs point toward Jay and Pham backing up Heyward in center. Heyward has only played two complete games in center for the Cardinals this season, and he didn’t start testing the waters there during a game until Aug. 16, after Grichuk got hurt. Grichuk is now slotted for a corner outfield position, so he is not asked to throw from the deepest section of stadiums. Heyward seems to be fine with the change.

“I have played some center,” he said. “For me, it’s putting all the experience together. Six years at this level. You understand the fundamental things you need to do that are going to make your job that much easier in the outfield. At the end of the day, that’s what you have to trust.

“I’ve even played center in the playoffs, (with the Atlanta Braves) in 2013, so, for me, it’s not that foreign. It’s having a great understanding of how to read hitters, an idea of your pitching staff and what they are going to do with certain counts, things like that. I don’t have any worries or any concerns. I’m going to have fun.”

Pham said it’s wait-and-see when it comes to how he will be used.

He’s happy to be here. That doesn’t mean he’s ready to rest.

“I still feel like I’m working on something,” Pham said. “More specifically for next year, this offseason, that’s going to elevate my game to another level. It’s just, with this game, you are constantly trying to better yourself, so you can continue to stick here, and produce here.”

In the eighth inning of the Cardinals’ NL Central-clinching beatdown of the Pirates, there was a very strange play that I have never seen before.

With a runner on first, Pirate Chris Stewart hit a blast to left-center. Cardinals left fielder Jon Jay motioned that he had it, and proceeded to miss the catch. The ball bounced off the warning track, the fence, and dropped into Jay’s glove. But instead of immediately throwing the ball back, Jay motioned like it had bounced over the fence for a ground rule double.

And Jay’s trickery worked! The Pirates runner who could easily have scored was held up at third.

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Faking a ground rule double in that situation is an extremely strange decision. There is no signage, overhanging seats, or other out-of-play obstacles that the ball could have bounced off: it seems pretty obvious that the only thing it hit was the fence, and that it shouldn’t have tricked anybody. And the Cardinals were up 9-0 at the time; why is Jay resorting to trickery instead of just getting the ball back to the infield as fast as possible?

Is it possible that Jon Jay wasn’t out to trick anybody, but actually thought it was a ground rule double? After he misses the catch, Jay sort of slams into the fence and isn’t looking up immediately. Maybe he thought the ball really did hit off of something, or that somehow a lightning fast teammate in the bullpen threw the ball back over the fence?

After the champagne celebration ends, hopefully a reporter asks Jay about the play.

NEWS UPDATEJay (wrist) continues to do exercises to strengthen his wrist and has yet to swing a bat in his rehab, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

ROTOWIRE FANTASY ANALYSISJay hit the disabled list in early July and at the time it seemed like a fairly minor injury, but it's looking like the outfielder will be out until at least the end of August at this point.

Miami native Jon Jay spent the Cardinals’ off-day Monday relaxing at home for the first time since spring training. He probably didn’t spend much time thinking about baseball. p:BC body copy 1st graph

“I’m going to take a day to refresh,” he said.

But he could be pardoned for wondering if familiar surroundings might help jump-start him this week.

As the Cardinals prepare to start a three-game series Tuesday night in Miami against the Marlins, the Cards center fielder is hitting .230. Perhaps more significant is that he is batting just .191 since coming off the disabled list in late May after being sidelined because of left thumb and left wrist discomfort.

He had surgery on the wrist in the offseason.

Jay is nine for 47 since returning, with one double, one triple and one home run. He finds himself playing fairly regularly, with left fielder Matt Holliday still disabled — but not as regularly as he used to play.

An integral member of four straight National League championship series clubs and two World Series teams, Jay has been shunted to the background before — and always has rallied.

“I’m here,” he said Sunday in Philadelphia. “I’m able to play and I’m competing. I’ll be all right. We’ve still got a long way to go and I feel pretty confident that everything will work out.

“I’m not worried about that — like I am (not) every year.”

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said his vibe is that Jay still is dealing with strength issues in the wrist.

“He’s working hard,” said Matheny, “but it just doesn’t look the same. You thought that after he got surgery, he might have it in the past. But it looks like it’s lingering.”

When Holliday returns, presumably in early July if not before, a deep Cardinals outfield will become even more crowded.

Five players then will have to be crammed into three spots, with Holliday and Jason Heyward likely to get everyday work and powerful rookie Randal Grichuk in the lineup on most days. That leaves Jay — a .295 lifetime hitter entering the season — and Peter Bourjos, who shared center field last year, doing so again at least temporarily.

“Every year is different, but I always stay ready,” said Jay, 30. “I think everyone would like to play more, but it’s just one of those things. But I’ll be ready when my name is called, just like I have throughout my whole career.

“If I’m not playing that day, I’m ready to come in and make an impact on defense or pinch running or a pinch-hit off the bench, whatever the case may be.”The Cardinals basically have three center fielders, all accomplished defensively, and Gold Glover Heyward has played center, too, in his career. He is in right field now.

“I think you’ve seen that whenever any of these four are out there together, wherever they’re called to play, it’s always good,” Jay said. “The big thing is we all take have pride in our defense. All of us want to make the plays and we’re consistently talking out there. It’s been a fun, good group to play with. Definitely.”

Matheny has applauded Jay’s quarterback abilities and says, “He’s a winning player, too. I’d like to have that (outfield situation) be a very difficult decision,” he said.

The manager compared Jay in a sense to former Cardinals infielder Daniel Descalso, Jay’s close friend, who signed with Colorado this year after being a valuable Redbirds reserve.

“Descalso was always trying to find a spot and he always ended up being there in the end,” Matheny said. “For Jay, it’s always been that he’s been pushed aside for a little while and then he takes off and (the job) is his. I like to see that when it happens but I also like to watch Randal.”

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals activated outfielder Jon Jay from the 15-day disabled list but did not have him in the lineup against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The team also said Matt Adams' surgery for a torn right quadriceps went well Friday, but that it was more likely he'd be sidelined four months. Previously, the injury had been termed a strain and the prognosis had been 3-4 months.

Jay was sidelined May 11 with left wrist tendinitis. While he was out, Randal Grichuk and Peter Bourjos stepped up and both were in the lineup.

"A lot of it has to do with how Randal has been playing," manager Mike Matheny said. "We haven't seen that much of Jon the last few weeks. Going into a big series, kind of going with that hot hand right now."

Grichuk was 5 for 8 on the home stand and had six hits in his last 12 at-bats. Bourjos has excelled defensively and he made a game-deciding slide Wednesday against the Diamondbacks when he upended catcher Jordan Pacheco, leading to a throw that sailed into right field that allowed the winning run to score.

Grichuk was batting cleanup and playing left field in place of Matt Holliday, who is suffering from flu-like symptoms. Bourjos started in center field, Jay's position.

"There's a chance he'll be in the bowels of the stadium waiting for an opportunity," Matheny said of Holliday, who has reached base in a franchise-record 43 consecutive games to start the season.

The 30-year-old Jay had wrist surgery in the offseason and missed part of spring training rehabbing. He was batting .248 with six RBIs in 30 games before going on the DL and played three games for Class A Peoria in a rehab assignment, getting 10 at-bats with two starts in center and one at DH.

The injury has cut into his power profile. Jay had two doubles and 23 singles.

"I think most of it comes down to how are they doing right now," Matheny said. "We like what Randal's doing and we like when Peter's getting an opportunity, he's making a difference."Mark Reynolds will be the primary first baseman for St. Louis and the team said it's not looking to trade for a more established player. The free-swinging Reynolds

has hit 20 or more homers the last seven seasons and entered the weekend series batting .253 with three homers and 13 RBIs.

"For now, the message I'm going to continue to give us we brought Mark Reynolds here for a reason, just in case we needed someone to step in," Matheny said. "Something happened. We're not going to make any bold statements except we want Mark to go out there and thrive."

ST. LOUIS -- Jon Jay went 0 for 4 in his first rehab game with the Class A Peoria Chiefs on Tuesday, but that certainly wasn't enough for fans to leave disappointed. According to the Peoria Journal Star, the St. Louis Cardinals outfielder spent a good amount of time signing autographs for every single fan who stuck around after the game.

VIDEO: Cards CF Jon Jay stays long after Chiefs game for autographs and pics with every fan who wanted one 5-26-15 http://t.co/EnIJowrlqT

The selflessness is certainly not uncharacteristic of Jay, who takes part in several charity events throughout the year, including his annual Celebrity Bowling Challenge that raises money for the Boys & Girls Clubs in his hometown of Miami.

Jay has spent the last two weeks getting strength back in his left wrist, which was surgically repaired in the offseason, and rediscovering his swing. The center fielder is expected back with the Cardinals on Friday, and was pleased with his first dose of live action since going on the disabled list May 14.

"I was able to play nine innings and I feel great right now, got the chance to run around a little bit in the outfield," Jay told the Peoria Journal Star. "Ran a couple times to the wall, so that was good.

"I saw some breaking balls, some fastballs, was able to foul some balls off with no pain. I'm just going to day to day, I was happy with how today went and I'm looking forward to tomorrow."

Jay is hitting .248 in 30 games this season for the Cardinals with 11 runs and six RBIs.

Jon Beason started his press conference on Friday with a little levity.

“You guys are a little late,” the Giants’ middle linebacker said to the surrounding reporters. “You know, camp started on Tuesday, actually Monday.”

It was a good-natured attempt at humor for a player who was dealing with a frustrating injury. But if anyone’s late to camp it’s Beason, who tore a ligament and fractured the sesamoid bone in his right foot during team activities last month and missed his fourth straight practice on Friday. Beason was in good spirits, however, pronouncing his ability to heal “a little superhuman,” and suggesting he might be able to participate in at least some of the Giants’ five preseason games, which start on Aug. 3 and end Aug. 28.

“I would hope so,” Beason said of receiving preseason snaps. “Based on how I feel, the way things are going, you want to keep making baby steps. If you go too fast and have a setback, all of a sudden you're pushing that timetable of Sept. 8 (the season opener against Detroit). We want to be smart about it. Obviously I'm going to do what they tell me. But I would love to get into the preseason to get some reps.”

Asked if he will be ready for the start of the season, Beason said: “There is no reason now to think I won’t be there, based on how I feel and how I’m progressing.”

Beason suffered the injury on June 12 and was carted off the field during 11-on-11 drills. The news wasn’t all negative because the injury didn’t require surgery, but he is now relegated to running on an underwater treadmill and trying to beat the timetable doctors gave him for returning for the season opener. In his absence, Jameel McClain has assumed the middle linebacker spot, with rookie Devon Kennard taking over at strongside linebacker.

Beason has been injury-prone the past few seasons and was viewed as a bit of a health risk when the Giants inked him to a three-year deal in March.

The Cardinals are optimistic that Jon Jay (wrist) will be ready for activation from the disabled list when first eligible on May 26.

Jay has resumed taking swings in the batting cage and has also done some throwing. The throwing had been the bigger issue prior to him landing on the disabled list, so that he completed that step with no issues is obviously a good sign. Peter Bourjos and Randal Grichuk will continue to handle center field until Jay returns.

The Cardinals added reinforcements to their short bench after yet another key injury Wednesday night.

Outfielder Jon Jay went on the 15-day disabled list with left wrist tendinitis and Xavier Scruggs was called up from Triple A Memphis, the organization announced Thursday morning. Left fielder Matt Holliday remains active and is in the lineup for an 11:10 a.m. game at Cleveland. He suffered a left elbow contusion when he got hit by Corey Kluber's 94-mph fastball in the first innnig Wednesday night but will serve as the DH today against the Indians.

Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay could be placed on the disabled list to allow his thumb and wrist to properly heal and to allow the team to add a healthy outfielder to the roster after an injury to Matt Holliday Wednesday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

"He's still not where he wants to be," Matheny said of Jay. "We're going to be very guarded. Part of it is the thumb. And there's part wrist in there. That wrist is something we hope we had in the past with the surgery, but it takes times to get all the range of motion back. Strength is still an issue. Try to get him some rest. That will help."

Jay hasn't seen any action at the plate since Saturday due to the injury.

NEWS UPDATEJay (wrist) is considered a game-time decision for Tuesday's game, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

ROTOWIRE FANTASY ANALYSISJay was held out of the lineup with what was thought to be a sprained left thumb, but the team is now listing him as day-to-day with a sprained left wrist. It doesn't look to be anything serious, but he could miss another game or two in the short term if his condition doesn't improve by Tuesday afternoon.

Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay (wrist) is on track to make his spring debut Friday against the Mets, per MLB.com.

Jay played in a simulated game Wednesday against minor leaguers. He took 13 at-bats, totaling two singles, one double, one stolen base and one run.

"Obviously, I've been through a lot this offseason with surgery and rehab," Jay said after Wednesday's simulated game. "It's good to finally get out there and take swings against live pitching. I just kind of did a little bit of everything, getting me ready for a game. I'm feeling good out there, moving along and I'm ready to get out there."

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Baseball STL) -- Anyone who's watched the Cardinals for the last week and a half knows full well there's one everyday player who is yet to appear. That would be the center fielder, Jon Jay. The 30-year old had offseason wrist surgery to correct an injury that plagued him for a decent part of the 2014 season.

You wouldn't know it by his .483 postseason batting average but it was there nonetheless.

The Cardinals and Jay have been very slow to push the center fielder back into game duty so far this spring. He's worked a lot in the cage, he's taken at-bats in live pitching practice against the starters. He's done almost everything there is to do.

Except play in a Grapefruit League game, that is.

"The goal is to be ready April 5th so we're on a schedule and we're just trying to be smart about it," Jay said. "We'll see what happens. You never know when you get your timing back but it's hopefully sooner than later."

A big influence on Jay thus far has been newly acquired right fielder Jason Heyward. The two have spent a lot of time together and appear to be creating a bond. After all, Jay did lose his almost all of his good friends to trades and releases the last couple years. David Freese is an Angel, Daniel Descalso is a Rockie and Allen Craig is a Red Sox.

So having Heyward around help from a personal as well as professional standpoint.

"We all know (Jason's) reputation. He's a great baseball player and a great dude so it's been great to have him here," Jay said. "We've welcomed him with open arms and it's like he's always been here. It's amazing to see how poised he is for his age (25). He was a young big leaguer. He came into this thing at 20 years old so the way he handles himself is impressive for a younger guy.

JUPITER, Fla. • Center fielder Jon Jay has played for the Cardinals in four straight National League championship series and in two World Series in that time. He has been in the majors for only four full seasons so those accomplishments seem very significant. But ... there always are naysayers.

Arm isn’t strong enough. Doesn’t have enough power. Not really all that fast. Would be a good fourth outfielder.

Yet, all he does is hit .300 and wind up playing in October. So Jon Jay must be doing something right.

Asked the other day how often he had heard people say he was lacking in one area or another, the 5-foot-11 Jay quickly answered, “My whole life. But I don’t worry about other people. That’s (a trait) I’ve always had since I was young. I stayed on track and didn’t pay attention to what was going on.”

Jay and a half dozen or more Cardinals prospects had a watershed year in 2009, when they banded and bonded on the Class AAA Memphis club that won the Pacific Coast League title under manager Chris Maloney — now the Cardinals’ first-base coach. Jay’s teammates included Allen Craig, Daniel Descalso, David Freese, Shane Robinson and Tyler Greene, all of whom would make it to the big leagues with the Cardinals and all of whom played for the Cardinals in 2011 when they won the World Series.

Craig, Descalso, Robinson and Jay also were with the club during the next three seasons that all ended with at least a berth in the National League championship series.

“‘Hammer’ (Maloney) always kept things loose,” Jay said. “He let us play our game and believed in us. He didn’t try to change us. We kind of got knocked around in the first half of the season because we were up against a lot of veteran guys. But in the second half of that season, what we were able to do was awesome. At the beginning, he had said, ‘You guys are good ballplayers. You’ll figure it out.’’’

Jay did, hitting .281 at Memphis that year and then .321 the next year before being promoted to St. Louis, where he hit .300 in the second half of 2010. Now, of those half-dozen players, only Jay remains with the Cardinals.

He admitted that the group often talked of getting to the big leagues together, even though in some other organization they might have advanced quicker.

“But we always talked about having a chance to win once we got to St. Louis,” he said. “Not a lot of guys get a chance to do that. Two years later, we get to the World Series and we’ve had a nice run since then.”

‘A WINNING-TYPE BALLPLAYER’Maloney said he had no doubt that Jay would make the big leagues and excel. p:BC body copy 1st graph

“He was a winning-type ballplayer back then,” Maloney said. “The way he loves baseball, he’s still like a little leaguer, which is very rare at this level.

“He’s a true Cardinal guy,” Maloney added. “He’s what you want to draw up on the board for being a big-league player.”

That he is the lone survivor of that group disappoints Jay to an extent.

“You form good friendships,” he said. “Those were my go-to guys but I have a lot of other good friends on the team. It’s like going to college. You spend three years with some of your best friends and then you move on. That’s kind of what happened here.”

Craig, who was traded to Boston last year, says Jay has survived “because he’s a great ballplayer and he’s a natural leader.”

Jay was a top player on his Columbus High School baseball team in his native Miami but he said, “I knew I wasn’t ready for pro ball out of high school. I knew I wanted to go to college and get better.”

Jay enrolled at the University of Miami but before he got there, he gained valuable experience playing for the Florida Bombers amateur team.

“We traveled all over the country and our whole team was Division I prospects,” Jay said. “We had five or six (future) big leaguers on that team. Then, I went to Miami and played with 10 big-league guys there — guys like (Ryan) Braun and Gaby Sanchez.

“After my sophomore year in college, I played on Team USA. We had David Price and Max Scherzer and (Matt) Wieters. These were all elite guys — Cy Young guys or All-Stars. So, I always had confidence in myself knowing that once I got to pro ball, I had to just take care of myself and make adjustments and I would be all right.”Jay was a second-round draft choice by the Cardinals in 2006 and immediately put up a .342 average in 60 games at Class A Quad Cities. He then hit .286 at Class A Palm Beach and then .306 at Class AA Springfield before finishing 2008 with a .345 mark in 15 games at Memphis. He was on his way.

“I always felt like I was a big leaguer,” said Jay, who turns 30 on Sunday.

This offseason, Jay was rewarded with a two-year, $10.975 million contract.

“I was glad to be able to get a two-year deal done,” he said. “Now it’s up to me to continue to show why I should be here beyond that.”

Last year, Jay hit a club-high .303. His defense, which generally had been strong in center field every year except the second half of 2013 (“there were some balls that year that maybe I had caught in the past&rdquo again was above the norm last year. And Jay fended off the advance of Peter Bourjos, who was acquired from the Angels to be the regular center fielder.

“Something I’ve always said about this organization since Day One is they’re going to do whatever they can to continue to win,” Jay said.

“Last year we brought in Peter. I had a pretty good rookie year in 2010 and then we brought in (Lance) Berkman the next year. And the next year after that, we brought in (Carlos) Beltran. We’re going to try to get better any way we can and that’s just the bottom line.”

Bourjos, who is trying to win a reserve role now, can appreciate what Jay has done.

“Jay is a .300 hitter and has shown that over several years,” Bourjos said. “That’s not easy to do, and you look at what he did last year, and how it was a ‘bounce back’ year. He was bouncing back to the player he is.”

In the 2014 postseason, Jay was even better, going 14 for 29, all with a sore left wrist that required surgery that has kept him out of games so far this spring but not for much longer, Jay thinks.

THE STANCEPerhaps Jay was consistent because, for much of last season and the playoffs, he stayed with one batting stance, rather than trying on several versions. No longer waggling the bat furiously as he holds it aloft, Jay lays the bat against his shoulder before starting his approach.p:BC body copy 1st graph

Jay credits hitting coach John Mabry for enabling him to maintain one stance.

“I’ve been able to work with some good hitting coaches — Mark McGwire as well — but ‘Mabes’ helped get me to the next level,” Jay said.

“It was all timing. Sometimes, my hands would get started late and pitchers would take advantage. I was fouling off or missing pitches that I should hit early in the count.”

Jay glances around the clubhouse and sees the makings of another quest for World Series gold.

“If everyone can just do a little better than last year and be a little smarter, then I’ll think we’ll be all right,” he said.

On a personal level, Jay said, “My goal is always to be playing in September in meaningful games and being part of the lineup. If I’m in the lineup and playing meaningful games ... then I did something well.”

Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay took batting practice on Thursday for the first time this spring, reports MLB.com. Jay underwent surgery on his wrist during the offseason and said his goal is to be ready for St. Louis' opener April 5 against the Cubs. Per the report, this puts Jay currently ahead of his rehab schedule.

While Cardinals center fiedler Jon Jay is making progress from wrist surgery, the team is not expecting him to play in any of the early games in spring training this week, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Jay had surgery on his wrist during the offseason and said his goal is to be ready for Opening Day.

"This is about April 5," Jay said. "That's the date that matters. I'm getting ready for April 5. I have five weeks now to be ready."

Jon Jay and the Cardinals have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a two-year contract. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch says it’s worth $10.975 million.

Jay was arbitration eligible for the second time after hitting .303 with three homers and a .750 OPS in 140 games last season while holding off Peter Bourjos to remain St. Louis’ starting center fielder.

He requested $5 million for 2015 and the Cardinals countered at $4.1 million. The two-year deal will also buy out his third and final season of arbitration eligibility and Jay can still become a free agent following 2016.

With the NFL season complete and with less than 3 weeks until pitchers report to Spring Training, Mosby Building Arts kicks off their baseball season early with a new commercial starring St. Louis Cardinals’ Jon Jay.

In the TV spot for the residential remodeling and architecture firm, St. Louis centerfielder Jay likens the work of Mosby’s team of experts to that of a championship ball club. View Jay’s commercial.

Mosby is excited to partner with Jon Jay and looks forward to more events in 2015. Mosby Marketing Manager, Kate Ewing, said, “Jon was a pleasure to work with. He was extremely authentic and genuine. We are excited to see the outcome of our partnership.”

Jon Jay’s remodeling spot debuted and aired several times on KSDK during the Super Bowl, and will regularly run on KSDK and Fox Sports Midwest.

Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay has filed for $5 million in arbitration, while the team has offered $4.1 million, MLB.com reports.

Jay will be eligible for arbitration for one more time before he's scheduled to reach free agency at the end of the 2016 season. He hit .303/.372/.378 with three home runs, 46 RBI and six stolen bases in 413 at-bats.

When visiting St. Louis this week, Cardinals center fieldp:BC body copy 1st grapher Jon Jay spent some time at Busch Stadium, passed by the clubhouse, chatted with teammate Lance Lynn and felt that familiar sensation of “being ready for the season to start.”

Being ready for spring training, however, has to come first.

Jay came to St. Louis to meet with the surgeon who repaired his left wrist and gain clearance to increase his workouts and, in the coming weeks, swing a bat with intent. The Cardinals outfielder had a ligament repaired in the wrist at the end of last season, and he expects to start spring training in late February without limitations. The Cardinals intend to start the regular season with Jay as the everyday center fielder. That’s the role he has had to compete for in previous springs but one he has earned “moving forward with his performance,” general manager John Mozeliak has said.

“It’s obviously good to hear those words from the manager and from upper management,” Jay said after his visit. “But nothing changes for me. If there’s anything I’ve learned here is nothing’s given. You still have to perform. It doesn’t matter what they say. It does matter what you do after they say it.”

Jay, 29, is one of four Cardinals who are eligible for arbitration, and all must exchange formal salary requests with the club by Friday. That deadline, which sets the figures for an arbitration hearing, has already spurred agreements around baseball between players and their teams. The Cardinals have had discussions with Jay’s agent and the other players’ representatives to see if a deal can be struck. The Cardinals have talks set for Thursday with agents.

It’s possible that the team and Peter Bourjos will have an agreement before the deadline. Jay expressed optimism about his agent’s talks with the Cardinals. Backup catcher Tony Cruz is going through the arbitration process for the first time. The Cardinals and Lynn’s representative have expressed a mutual interest in exploring a multiyear deal as he reaches arbitration for the first time.

This is Jay’s second turn through arbitration, and he made $3.25 million as a result last year. He and Lynn are set to see the biggest raises. Jay claimed the starting job in center with a .303 average and a .372 on-base percentage. Jay hit .483 in the playoffs.

The Cardinals have previously expressed a willingness to go year-to-year with Jay, who would become a free agent after 2016. He’s open to a multiyear contract, he said.

“I would love to be a Cardinal for as long as possible,” Jay said. “Hopefully, something like that can happen. This is all I know. From my perspective there’s not a better place to play.”

Jay is one of a handful of Cardinals who had surgery at the end of the season to address nagging ailments. Bourjos, who was acquired a year ago to vie with Jay for the starting job in center, had surgery on his hip. He will meet with a team doctor in St. Louis on Friday to determine if he can push his rehab. He has been running on a treadmill without discomfort, something he couldn’t do before the surgery. Bourjos said he may be able to start hitting as soon as Monday.

Jay came earlier in the week for his checkup because he has a friend’s wedding to attend and will miss the team’s annual fanfest.

After surgery in October, Jay spent six weeks in a cast. Dr. Charles Goldfarb met with Jay on Monday and gave him permission to increase his workouts, Jay said. The start of spring training is a week later this season, and that gives Jay time to strengthen his wrist and start hitting only a few weeks after he normally would.

Despite limiting his batting practice to protect the wrist, Jay hit .325 in August and September, and he had his best postseason average. He had only one extra-base hit in the postseason and seven total in his final 189 at-bats of the year.

“It was grinding, grinding through it,” he said.

Jay started the increased workouts immediately at Busch Stadium on Monday. He said the familiarity of the place brought back that sense of a season fast approaching.

There will be differences, though.

From a tight group of five Cardinals who grew up together at Class AAA Memphis, only Jay and Cruz remain Cardinals. David Freese and Allen Craig have been traded. Daniel Descalso, Jay’s closest friend, signed with Colorado. They are still close, connected by texts. Jay and Descalso vacationed together. This week, Jay intends to spend time with Craig in California. Playing “with the same guys forever isn’t going to happen,” Jay said. Salaries rise. Trades happen. The business of baseball marches on.

Change happens.

“You have to understand what can happen in this game, nothing is set, how expectations are always high around this organization,” Jay said. He added, wryly: “I’m excited about having a healthy wrist and the same batting stance for two years in a row.”

ST. LOUIS • Cardinals center fielder Jon Jay spent a few days in St. Louis this week to have his surgically repaired wrist examined and the green light given to workouts that, he said, will make sure he's available when spring training starts next month.

"It's too early to tell when I'll be 100 percent, but it's a good thing there are seven weeks until spring," Jay said Tuesday. "That extra 10 days (before spring workouts start this year) is huge. I've already been working. I feel good. I have the time I need. I expect to be ready."

On the same day that general manager John Mozeliak and manager Mike Matheny asserted that Jay will return as the team's starting center fielder, the team also revealed that Jay had wrist surgery to tidy-up a troublesome frayed ligament. Jay called the injury the product of "wear and tear," and he added Tuesday that it was something he dealt with for the previous two years.

He modified his work the final three months of the season to compensate for the soreness that took up residency in his wrist. Jay was the only regular to hit better than .300 in 2014, and he took over the everyday job in center on his way to a .303 average, a .750 OPS, and 52 runs in 140 games. After struggling in previous postseasons, Jay hit .483 for the Cardinals in the postseason and had a .571 on-base percentage. His OBP was boosted by the three times he was hit by a pitch in the nine playoff games.

In October, Jay had the ligament repaired.

Six weeks in a cast followed.

He has been out of the cast for four weeks. And this week after meeting with the surgeon who did the procedure he has been cleared to begin activities with the wrist. Jay said he's already started those workouts with two days here in St. Louis. He'll rebuild his strength and within a couple weeks pick up a bat and begin swinging. Jay said he would normally begin taking swings in a batting cage at this time of year in preparation for spring training.

Cardinals position players do not report until Feb. 24, as much as 10 days later than they have in recent years. Jay said he expects to be ready to participate without limitations when spring begins.

"Everything looks good," Jay said. "Getting back to full strength is the next step. I don't anticipate anything that would slow me down. I'm optimistic."

ST. LOUIS -- On the day the Cardinals traded for center fielder Peter Bourjos last November, Mike Matheny called Jon Jay and assured him that he would not be overlooked.

While the gesture was appreciated, Jay said it was unnecessary.

"I'm here to compete, I'm here to help the team win any way I can," Jay said. "That kind of move shows how this organization is willing to do whatever it takes to win."

As the season played out, the call from his manager was unnecessary for another reason, too.

The way Jay played in 2014, no way could the Cardinals overlook him. When Bourjos struggled early, Jay was ready. He did not step in and take off as much as he just played his steady game. By the end of April, he was hitting .284 to .160 for Bourjos. Though Bourjos would get plenty of chances over the next several weeks, he never showed Matheny enough to beat out Jay.

By the second half, center field belonged to Jay. He finished the season playing in 140 games with 468 plate appearances; Bourjos finished at 119 with 294.Jay led Cardinals regulars with a .303 batting average, finished second to third baseman Matt Carpenter with a .372 on-base percentage and led the majors by being hit by a pitch 20 times. Just as important as his offensive contributions was that Jay's defense returned to his pre-2013 level (though don't suggest that to Jay, who said he could not tell a difference between 2014 and 2013). He wasn't quite Bourjos in center field, but he was well above average.

Jay's overall performance was strong enough that general manager John Mozeliak said he won't be shopping for a potential upgrade in center field this offseason.

"How he played the second half was, frankly, altering how we look at him moving forward," the GM said.

Perhaps it's time everyone looked at Jay a bit differently. While he's not likely to win an MVP or even make the All-Star Game, he has proven to be quite a winning player. Consider this: In the Cardinals' four-year run of advancing to at least the NL Championship Series, Jay is their only player to appear in all 57 postseason games. For a guy who says he doesn't judge his season on his numbers, that stat matters.

"My goal in the beginning of every year is to be playing a lot in September leading into October," he said. "I know that to be in the lineup at that point, I must have done something during the year."

Jay has played in only five big-league seasons since being taken in the second round of the 2006 draft but he already is tied for fourth in franchise history for most playoff games. Though he shrugs off talk about his individual performance, he does not downplay the significance of reaching the NLCS four times.

"You want to be part of that Cardinals history," he said. "We see it when guys come into town for reunions of the World Series (winners). That's a cool thing you point out to a young guy: 'Hey, man, that should be us one day. Twenty years from now when we're old with our families, we'll be coming back to St. Louis to celebrate a world championship.' That's what it's about."

Jay doesn't turn 30 until March 15, but he no longer is one of the youngsters being mentored by the likes of Albert Pujols and Chris Carpenter. These days, Jay is one of the old guys showing the youngsters the way as they arrive in St. Louis and are immediately expected to contribute.

"I got so much information and support and advice from guys before, from Albert, Carp, Lance Berkman, Carlos Beltran," Jay said. "I feel like it's my turn now to share that with the younger guys. It's a fun process. Every day I thank God for this opportunity I've been given."

Jay told me this the day before he started in center field in the National League Championship Series. Though spring didn't start the way he would have preferred, he was right where he wanted to be in October.

"It was different for him this year," Matheny said late in the season. "But to his credit, I can't think of one day all season when he didn't say, 'Hey, whatever you need me to do, I'll be ready.' And it was sincere. It was nice to see a guy like that take off and prove it to everybody."

Jay did so despite playing the final two months of the regular season and the playoffs with a sore left wrist that required arthroscopic cleanup after the season. The surgery is not expected to slow him in 2015.

That should not come as a surprise, though -- not after he proved last season there isn't much that can hold him back.

It certainly didn’t show while he was on fire during the playoffs, but Cardinals center fielder Jon Jay had a left wrist injury that required surgery and the recovery timetable is 6-8 weeks.

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch reports that Jay played through the injury since July, yet he hit .325 in August and September before going 14-for-29 (.483) in the postseason.

It was quite a change from last year, when Jay struggled offensively and defensively in the playoffs, and according to Goold the Cardinals plan to keep him as their starting center fielder for 2015 after bringing in Peter Bourjos as competition last offseason.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Shortly after the Cardinals' season-ending 6-3 loss to the Giants at AT&T Park on Thursday night, Jon Jay lay flat on his back in the visitors' clubhouse, displaying the exhaustion and disappointment of a man who played his heart out, but ultimately came up short.

A second straight trip to the Fall Classic was not in the cards this year for St. Louis, which dropped the National League Championship Series to San Francisco in five games. But it was not for a lack of inspired performance by Jay, one of nine current Cardinals who's been present for all four of the club's consecutive runs to the NLCS.

"He was big for us all year," said first baseman Matt Adams. "Just a great ballplayer. Great all-around player, great defender, and he's a gamer. He comes to the field ready to go each day."

Jay went 14-for-29 (.483) this postseason and made big plays in the outfield, including a sliding catch in left field in the eighth Thursday to rob Gregor Blanco of a hit.

Now, the 29-year-old outfielder will enter his second offseason of arbitration, and after making $3.25 million this season, Jay will certainly receive a raise. Whether general manager John Mozeliak opts to give him a long-term extension, trade him or sign him to another one-year deal remains to be seen.

One thing, however, is clear: Jay was rock solid in 2014. He batted .303 during the regular season, before shining in October. And in Jay's fifth Major League season, he was also a key team leader.

"I want to thank him," Adams said. "He did a good job taking me under his wing this year and kind of showing me the ropes. He's just a great teammate.

"Just being there," Adams said when asked for specifics. "Some situations that he went through when he was younger. He just was able to help me out all year long. It was pretty cool."

Throughout the playoffs, Jay and second baseman Kolten Wong were the most consistent hitters in St. Louis' lineup.

"We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for what they were able to do," Matt Carpenter said. "This team's got a lot of players that take a lot of pride in what they do, and those guys are a big part of it. You can't say enough about what they were able to do for us."

On Thursday, a dejected Jay was not yet ready to celebrate his personal performance. But he could appreciate being part of yet another deep postseason run with the Cards.

"This team, we dealt with so much adversity all year long," Jay said. "We kept getting hit with different things and a lot of people counted us out, and we played well the second half and we kept believing in ourselves, and we got to this point.

"Obviously, you want to go to the World Series and get a chance for a ring, but when you look back at the season, we'll know how hard we fought and how we really came together as a team and as a family. We gave it our all, but they were just better than us."

ST. LOUIS--Jon Jay watched this happen once before. In fact, he lived it.

Barely more than three years ago, Jay stole the Cardinals’ centerfield job. He’ll tell you he won it. Semantics. Colby Rasmus played poorly, and Jay played well. It was July 27, 2011, and St. Louis was gasping for air. Its 55-48 record was fine, but hardly stellar, and Milwaukee sat atop the National League Central. For a franchise as accustomed to success as the Cardinals, that wasn’t good enough, and it didn’t matter that Rasmus was a former first-round pick who’d been tagged as the team’s centerfielder of the future. Future became past when Rasmus was dealt to Toronto that day, and Jay took over. He went on to hit .297 for the season, which ended with St. Louis winning its 11th World Series championship.

Jay’s has been a career defined by team success. Since coming to the major leagues in 2010, he’s missed the playoffs just once, in his rookie year. The three seasons since then have ended in October and include last year's National League pennant. This season? “We’re in it for the long haul,” he says. “It’s not about April or May, June or July. It’s about being in the position that we’re in now.”

Perhaps it is that philosophy, in the waning days of the season, that kept Jay sane during the dog days of this past summer. After a 2013 season in which he slipped offensively and defensively – and then hit just .192 in October, as St. Louis lost the World Series to the Red Sox – the Cardinals let their eyes wander last offseason. It had been more than two years since their title, and the magic of its most recent title had finally run out. That fact was never clearer than on Nov. 22, 2013, when the team dealt 2011 World Series hero David Freese to the Angels for a package that included outfielder Peter Bourjos, who started for St. Louis on Opening Day – in centerfield.

With his contract expiring after this season, Jay looked like a man who should be hunting for a new job. But by June 1, Bourjos’ average hovered near .200, and when Jay did play, he played well. Once again, the Cardinals tore up their preseason outfield blueprint, and by late July, Jay was back as the everyday centerfielder. Since Aug. 5, managed Mike Matheny has penciled Jay into the lineup for all but four games – two of which were due to an undisclosed personal matter. Over that period, Jay drove in 22 runs, scored 24 and posted a .325 batting average, more than 40 points better than that of his next-closest teammate. Perhaps not coincidentally, St. Louis went 31-21 from that point on and turned a one-game NL Central deficit into its second consecutive division title.

“There’s two ways you can look at it,” Jay says of his rollercoaster season. “You can be positive or negative. I’m a positive person. I just continue to work hard and wait for an opportunity. I get how this game works, get how this business works. … For me, that’s the easy part, just going out there and competing. I like competing.”

And compete he did, all the way to a .303 batting average, which would have been be good for the sixth-best mark in the NL – if Jay had enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title. (Due to his limited playing time early in the season, he fell 34 plate appearances short of the 502 that are required.) However, Jay’s .372 OBP was second-best on the Cardinals, behind only Matt Carpenter’s .375, and his 2.8 WAR was fourth-best among the team’s hitters – even more impressive considering he has more than 150 fewer at bats than the three players with higher marks.

But Jay is anything but bitter. “As long as we're in October, I’m playing a lot and the team’s in the playoff, I’ve had a good year,” he says. It’s an easy line to spout when it’s September and your manager is singing your praises, calling you the “quarterback” of the team and saying you’re integral because of your ability to sense what’s happening on the field. It’s easy when October is looming, and you’ve got a job to do, and you’ve proven you can do it.

It’s easy because the last time Jon Jay won a job in centerfield, he won a ring three months later.

Jon Jay didn't need to go far from home to excel at the collegiate level.

Jay attended Christopher Columbus High School in Miami-Dade County, and he won the Florida Class 6A state championship during his senior year in 2003. He decided to play his college baseball at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla., just five miles away, where he thrived.

At Miami, the outfielder was a first-team freshman All-American in 2004 and a second-team All-American in '06. In three seasons with his hometown Hurricanes, Jay hit .378/.475/.521. He walked more times (96) than he struck out (93) in his career.

In 2004, Miami reached the quarterfinals of the College World Series and Jay made the All-Tournament team. In '06, the Hurricanes made it back to the quarters.

The Cardinals selected Jay in the second round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft after the conclusion of his junior season at Miami.

My list didn't make prominent mention of one starting player, but that was done for a specific reason.

That's because, fittingly enough, the Cardinals had a true unsung hero during the regular season. And he warranted separate attention, so I saved him for today.

Of course, I'm talking about outfielder Jon Jay.

During a season in which many Cardinals' regulars suffered a decline in performance, Jay was an exception. He exceeded his 2013 level, and certainly exceeded 2014 preseason expectations. After the trade for center fielder Peter Bourjos, many assumed Jay would be phased out or at least used a lot less in 2014. Well, Jay never got that memo. He responded admirably to the challenge by improving offensively and defensively.

When others, including me, were ready to give up on Jay, he never gave up on himself. He never complained, never caused a fuss when Bourjos was given the first crack at the starting job. Jay just kept working and waited for his chance. When Bourjos started slowly, Jay reemerged in center, and at times was the team's most consistent hitter.

Jay batted .303, or 27 points better than in 2013.

His onbase percentage was up by 21 points, to .372.

His slugging percentage increased to .378, up from .370.

His OPS was .750 this season compared to .721 last year.

His OPS+ — which is adjusted based on industry-wide hitting performances — was 114, which means he was 14 percent above the league average. That was an improvement of 10 percent over Jay's 2013 season.

And his defensive turnaround was pretty dramatic. In 2013, Jay ranked 32nd among MLB center fielders with an abysmal minus 10 in Defensive Runs Saved. This season he finished 13th at the position with 5 Defensive Runs Saved — a positive swing of 15 defensive runs from last year.

Jay finished with 2.6 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) which was nearly a win better than his 2013 WAR.

After dealing with a bit of a slump in July, Jay had a tremendous August, batting .382 with a .474 OBP and .487 SLG. He batted .323 with a .406 OBP after the All-Star break.

Jay, who bats left, hit .375 against lefthanded pitching.

Jay's upturn gave manager Mike Matheny a chance to put together a more mobile defensive alignment by using Bourjos in center and Jay in right later in the season.

Kudos to Jay for plugging away, being a pro and avoiding the kind of downturn experienced by so many teammates.

“It was different for him this year,” Matheny said late in the season. “But to his credit there wasn't one day where he showed up — and when I make my rounds, I know there's days when guys aren't happy. I get it. I've been that guy. But I can't think of one day all season where no matter how many days it was where he wasn't getting the opportunities he'd just say 'Hey, whatever you need me to do, I'll be ready.' And it was sincere. So it's nice to see a guy like that all of a sudden take off and prove it to everybody.”

Moreover, Jay went out of his way to help the younger players like Randal Grichuk and Oscar Taveras. He offered support to Bourjos. Even though his generosity could have (in theory) cost Jay playing time, he took the high road. He unselfishly committed to being an exceptional teammate, lending a hand to guys that were competing with him for starts and at-bats.

“A guy like Jon will come in and spend time with a Peter Bourjos, and spend time with an Oscar Taveras and Randal Grichuk and this whole slew of outfielders we have,” Matheny said. “He's probably the one that's spending the most time trying to help other guys … It's always a great reward to see a guy who buys into that thought process, that culture that we have here where it's just 'let's make everybody better.' And somehow it comes back. And I think that's a great story for Jon Jay this year.”

In summing up Jay's bounce-back season, Matheny said: “It just proves toughness. And ability. He had a pretty good year last year. I think he was one of the first to say that he could have had a better year on both sides. Defensively he was always quick to point that out. But this year once again reinforced why we thought of him as we have. He's a good defender, and you look up there and see his average this late in the season – and that's with a guy that's been battling some things health wise.

"But just staying with his approach and getting big hits for us. And it's not a surprise. It's like we say with all of these guys — keep doing your thing and we believe it comes out in the wash over the long haul what kind of player you are.”

And that's why the Unsinkable Jon Jay is the Cards' Unsung Hero for 2014.

Jon Jay knocked in three runs with a pair of singles Monday against the Cubs.

Jay has been slumping of late, but he's remained a regular anyway, even against a lefty tonight. Of course, he's actually been quite a bit better against lefties than righties this season, complicating any type of platoon arrangement with Peter Bourjos. Even with his recent struggles, Jay still has a .306 average for the season. The Cardinals will just have to hope he plays better defense in October this time around.

Maybe Jon Jay is waiting to tell us, "I told you so." Or maybe he's not that type of guy. Or maybe he knows that little good can come from gloating.

At this point, Jay doesn't need to say a word about how he was dismissed by the Cardinals' front office last offseason. He has said far more with his performance than he could with any verbal retort.

How's this for a message: a .316 batting average and .388 on-base percentage, both the best on the team.

Jay's play has said even more in the second half. He leads the NL with a .459 on-base percentage and is second, by one point, with a .366 batting average. He has reached base or driven in a run in 40 of the 43 games he's played since the All-Star break, and he was used as a pinch hitter in one of three he didn't.His defense in center field hasn't been quite Peter Bourjos-esque, but Jay has made more than his share of highlight plays. He also has provided the club with valuable versatility with his ability to move to either corner outfield spot and allow Bourjos to roam center.

When a group of reporters was talking to Mike Matheny the other day, one suggested that if the league did a second-half MVP award, Jay would be a prime candidate. "He'd get my vote," Matheny said.

If Matheny took a little time to reconsider, he might opt for Matt Holliday or Matt Carpenter because both have enjoyed more productive second halves. But maybe not. Matheny can appreciate more than anyone what kind of team player Jay has been. Matheny, remember, was the quiet voice in the corner who refused to hand Bourjos the center-field job after the David Freese trade last November.

When Jay wasn't playing regularly earlier this season, he could have given Matheny a headache by causing a disruption. With a number of teammates in his corner, if Jay had complained, he could have soiled the clubhouse chemistry. But he remained professional. Matheny said while Jay let him know he wanted to be in the lineup, he did not whine. He told his manager he'd do whatever was needed and that he would remain ready for whatever. "He means it," Matheny said.

Jay has said even less to the media this season. Never a go-to quote, in past years he would at least try to provide a bit of insight in interviews. This season, it's been cliche city or nothing.

"Just trying to take it one day at a time," he has said more than once after a big night. "Just trying to play my part."

Typically, he says this with what is a grin, a snicker or, most likely, some combination of the two. Jay is a smart dude and knows what he is doing. While he has every reason to be displeased with how the Cardinals have treated his playing time in recent years, he knows that complaining to the media would cause him nothing but trouble. The team wouldn't be happy and, if his play were to slip, fans would be all over him. Unless he is a superstar, any player who speaks out to the media is not likely to help himself at contract time, either. If Jay had made waves after the Cardinals traded for Bourjos, they might not have been as willing to give him a raise from $524,000 to $3.25 million in his first year of arbitration.

Now his improved play has complicated the Cardinals' upcoming offseason plans, though in a good way. Will the Cardinals turn center field over to him in 2015 -- which would mean another hefty pay hike in arbitration? Or will they again seek an upgrade in center field? They really have no other obvious spots to address among position players. The way it stands today, the 2015 lineup is virtually set already with Matt Adams at first, Kolten Wong at second, Jhonny Peralta at third, Carpenter at third, Holliday in left and Oscar Taveras in right.

The way Jay and Bourjos have played lately, why not bring both back? The majors are not exactly stocked with available center fielders who would make obvious upgrades.

Whether it's with the Cardinals or not, Jay has put himself in a strong situation with his play and approach. No shortage of teams would covet a versatile outfielder who has played deep into the postseason in three of his four big-league seasons and was a playoffs regular in the minors. A guy who is tough enough to play with a sore left wrist during this second half, a guy who impresses even his old-school manager by the way he shrugs off hit by pitches. Jay has been hit a lot, too -- a NL-most 46 times in the past three seasons -- but always takes the plunking, drops his head and quietly jogs to first base.

"It always hurts," Jay admits, then catches himself. "But it's just part of the game."

Jay's ways on the field and in the clubhouse can only help him. It's like A.J. Pierzynski says: "It's always about winning. If you win, you set yourself up financially, so they go together."

Well, Jon Jay has been a winner for the Cardinals. That he hasn't had to remind us makes him an even bigger winner.

The St. Louis Cardinal organization, feeling Jay's defense in 2013 was substandard, traded in the off-season for speedy center-fielder Peter Bourjos. And they gave Jay just a one-year contract, something most players would have interpreted as a not-very-subtle message.

Cards skipper Mike Matheny knew how Jay must have felt so he called Jay after the Bourjos trade.

"I told him I didn't know how all this would play out. I said we'd figure it out as we went along. He knew he was not as good defensively as he needed to be. He said he thought he could have done better."

Matheny said he knew the outfield competition would be good for Jay and the ball club as a whole.

"(Players) need to be pushed," he said before Saturday's crucial ball game with the Milwaukee Brewers. "Guys are motivated by a lot of things - contracts, (playing time), and all that. Jon came in here with Bourjos, Randal Grichuk, Oscar Taveras and he worked hard to help those guys get better. He bought into the culture (of the Cardinals.) I believe that comes back around," he said.

Whether it is karma, competition or just a renewed commitment, Jay has excelled both offensively and defensively in 2014.

Entering Saturday's game, Jay was hitting a team-leading .321 (.391 on-base percentage). with 15 doubles, 39 RBIs and an uncanny ability to get on base when it counts the most, including 16 times hit by a pitch.

But beyond those numbers lies Jay's other contribution to the Cardinals' success, his willingness to work with young players. That culture, said Redbirds' utility infielder Daniel Descalso, is something the team prides itself on. Descalso said the extra effort to make players feel welcome was something he experienced when he first arrived in the clubhouse. Descalso credits former Cardinal outfielder Skip Schumacher with encouraging him to pass on that camaraderie, a suggestion he and Jay have taken to heart.

Still, Matheny said, he is very sensitive to the mood in the clubhouse and understands what players are feeling. "There are days when Jay's not happy (because he's not in the line-up). I know that. I understand it. I've been that guy. But he'll tell me he's ready to do whatever I need him to do, that he'll be ready. And he means it."

Matheny said Jay's defensive improvement, his toughness, and the ability to put together quality at bats is one big reason why the Cardinals have been in contention all year. While he knows that not playing on a regular basis is hard on Jay and some of the younger Cardinals, he will continue to ride the hottest hand. "We're all in," Matheny said.

And so far the skipper has pushed all the right buttons at exactly the right time.

There's no such thing as a "Second Half MVP" award, but if the honor existed, Cardinals' outfielder Jon Jay would be a strong contender in the National League. Jay has gone berserk since the All-Star break. In 138 plate appearances he's batting .384 with a .474 onbase percentage and a .491 slugging percentage. That's a .966 OPS. And those numbers are crazy good.

Among MLB hitters with a minimum of 125 plate appearances since the All-Star break, Jay is second to Jose Abreu in batting average, first in OBP, and fourth in OPS. The only MLB hitters with a higher second-half OPS are Giancarlo Stanton, Abreu, and Buster Posey.

And there's something new to the mix ... Jay isn't a power hitter by trade, but his second-half slugging percentage is higher than that of a long list of notables including Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Pablo Sandoval, Carlos Beltran, Robinson Cano and Jonathan Lucroy.

Jon Jay ... call him the Angry Bird. And he's making a statement, eh?

Jay isn't literally angry but there's no question that there'd an "edge" to his game. It isn't just the offense; Jay made two excellent catches in RF to save Thursday's 3-2 win over the Brewers. So obviously all of his hard work to improve has made a difference.

Think about Jay's last 12, 15 months or so. He struggled defensively in center ... he went through some exasperating slumps; as late as July 21st of last season Jay was batting only .247 ... he was streaky ... he batted .192 in the postseason and at times appeared to lack confidence with his play in center ... Shane Robinson started three postseason games in CF in place of Jay, including two in the World Series ... then in December, GM John Mozeliak essentially made a trade to give the Cardinals a new look in center, acquiring Peter Bourjos from the Angels.

I was one of many who wrote off Jay. I can't be a phony about this. I thought Bourjos should play, and would play. And I assumed Jay's role would be reduced to that of a fourth outfielder. (And by the way: there's nothing wrong with being a fourth OF.)

But there's one thing about Jay that many, including me, have continued to underestimate: his competitiveness.

Jay wasn't supposed to beat out Colby Rasmus for the gig in center -- but he did.

Jay wasn't supposed to stay around long enough in center to start for a 2011 team that won the World Series, a 2012 team that made it to Game 7 of the NLCS, and a 2013 team that won the NL pennant.

Jay wasn't supposed to be as prominent in 2014 -- not with Bourjos on the scene, and outfield prospects Oscar Taveras and Randal Grichuk on the way.

Talk about survival skills. Jay keeps working and working and working to improve ... he's definitely wired for competition. He's willing to fend off challengers. He doesn't pout or go into the tank. If a GM or a media jackal or even the manager is inclined to move Jay aside, he always has a response. Which basically amounts to this: Forget about it. I won't let that happen. You'll see.

Jay refuses to say goodbye. By now it's pretty obvious that you can't kick him out of here. And why would you want to? The Jon Jay that we've been watching for the last couple of months is playing the best ball of his career.

Oh, I'm aware of his inflated average on balls in play (.441) since the All-Star break. I'm aware that no one can stay this hot over a really long period of time. I know that Jon Jay -- with all due respect -- isn't Ichiro Suzuki, circa 2004. But right now Jay is hitting like the peak-form Ichiro. It's nuts. Jay's second-half OPS is 75 points higher than the next Cardinal on the list, Matt Holliday. Jay's been that much better than everyone else on the team.

Moreover, the combo of Bourjos in CF and Jay in RF gives the Cardinals plenty of defensive giddyup. They're getting to the liners and flies and drives. You should have heard Brewers Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Uecker raving about the Jay-Bourjos defense during Thursday's radio broadcast.

We can talk small sample sizes and all of that, but Jay has been one of the best players in baseball since the All-Star break. That is a fact. The Angry Bird won't be shooed away.

ST. LOUIS — The Cardinals have fought for consistency going into the stretch, locked in what feels like an eternal struggle with the Brewers for the NL Central title.

Their best weapon in the second half has been Jon Jay. Lately seems every time there’s a Cardinal run, the Miami native has a hand-or a foot- in it.

Mike Matheny was concise in his discussion of Jay’s surge, saying simply, “It’s the same conversation we’ve been having since February.”

In fairness, the manager has maintained his confidence in the outfielder since the season began, emphasizing his versatility and praising his bat throughout the season. However, the current conversation is about a player far more compelling than just a solid piece to the team. The first half was solid for the utility outfielder. He posted a .286 average with 22 RBIs. The second half finds him nearly unstoppable.

Jay is hitting .372 since the break, with an OPS of nearly .944. He’s been an offensive force in the past two weeks, scoring 10 runs and driving in 7. He’s hitting .397 in August, leading the major leagues.

Boiled down to the most impressive stat, since August 9, Jay has only five games in which he did not score AND did not drive in a run. He’s done one or the other 14 times and done both seven times.

As pinch hitter, he’s driven in four runs; 21 percent of St. Louis’ total PH RBIs. All four tied the game or took the lead and three of them came in August. Two took the lead on August 14 against San Diego, and a third tied Monday’s game in Pittsburgh.

He’s played well in the outfield, coming out seven runs above average while manning three different positions.

“He can fit in a couple different spots. Not afraid to throw him in there early, not afraid to throw him in there late,” Matheny said in Pittsburgh. “He’s a pro, he knows how to handle whatever spot we put him in the lineup.”

Jay is always humble when asked about his performance. He prides himself on his consistency and it’s never more evident than in his modesty when discussing his success.

When asked why August once again finds him among the league’s best hitters, Jay remained unchanging in his response.

“I don’t know,” he smiled. “I don’t know, no idea. I’m just going out there trying to play hard like I always do.”

His steady play is one reason the Cardinals are nine games above .500, despite posting a run differential of -17. For a club that has seen enough one-run games for a lifetime, the Cardinals are looking at a tense stretch run if they want to make the playoffs.

“Every game is so important right now,” Jay said. “Just have to keep playing hard, and every game is a big game.”

Luckily for St. Louis, the 25-year-old is playing like it’s already October.

PITTSBURGH — Jon Jay already had a bat in hand before St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny even called his name.

A minute later the veteran outfielder was standing on second base after his pinch hit tied the game. Jay didn't stay there long, racing home with the go-ahead run on Matt Holliday's sharp single in a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night.

"He just sensed," Matheny said of Jay's precocious grab of the bat. "We hadn't had any interaction at that point. He's smart, he knows the game."

And the Cardinals know a thing or two about coming through late. St. Louis scored all three runs off reliever Jared Hughes (6-4) with two outs in the seventh inning to back John Lackey and send the scuffling Pirates to their seventh loss in 10 games.

Lackey (2-1) worked out of trouble early to last seven innings in his second victory for the Cardinals after arriving in a trade from Boston on July 31. He was 11-7 with the Red Sox.

Trevor Rosenthal gave up a leadoff home run in the ninth to Andrew McCutchen but held on to earn his 39th save.

"I think guys know when we have a pitcher like Lackey on the mound, he's going to keep us in the game," Matheny said. "We've just got to keep fighting and figure out a way to get something going."

Pedro Alvarez hit his 18th homer in the second off Lackey, but the Pirates managed little after that to fall further behind St. Louis and first-place Milwaukee in the NL Central race.

Pirates starter Francisco Liriano overwhelmed St. Louis for six-plus innings before leaving after Kolten Wong's infield single led off the seventh. Hughes came on and promptly picked off Wong.

Things didn't work out so well for the normally dependable right-hander, however, when he went to the plate.

Tony Cruz started the game-changing rally by turning an 0-2 count into a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a sharply hit single by Jay. Holliday then gave St. Louis the lead with a grounder past shortstop Jordy Mercer. St. Louis has 209 RBIs this season with two outs, tops in the National League.

"It was just a night where (Hughes) couldn't get the ball where he wanted to go," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said.

The cushion was more than enough for Lackey, who had little trouble after navigating a choppy second inning. Alvarez hit a long home run to center with one out, and infield hits by Starling Marte and Jordy Mercer followed. The runners moved up on a sacrifice by Liriano, but Josh Harrison's sharply hit fly to left went right to Holliday.

Lackey settled down following the reprieve, not allowing a runner past first base over his final five innings. He walked one and struck out three to improve to 3-0 against National League teams this season.

"I think Tony and I made some good adjustments after the first time through the lineup," Lackey said. "The last three innings were as good as I felt."

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (BaseballSTL) -- From the day Jon Jay was drafted out of the University of Miami in the 2nd round of the 2006 MLB Draft he did nothing but hit. It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t the type of swing where you’d drop your jaw and think you were watching the next Albert Pujols or even Jim Edmonds.

But he hit. He hit .300 practically with his eyes closed. And his defense was almost always above average. Jay played a large role in the Cardinals trading Ryan Ludwick back in 2010 and Colby Rasmus in 2011.

2012 was Jay’s breakout season. He hit .305 in 443 at-bats with a .373 on-base percentage and a career high 3.2 WAR (wins above replacement).

Then 2013 happened. It was bad. The numbers (.276 average with a 1.5 WAR) don’t tell the entire story. Jay got worn out by year’s end. His defense, particularly in the postseason, was atrocious. The downward spiral the Cardinals took offensively had as much to do with Jay’s performance as it was anyone else. Fans were ready to exile him to Siberia in favor of almost anyone else.

Well, they got their wish in the offseason when the Cards traded for Peter Bourjos from the Angels. That was supposed to be it for Jay. Bourjos was going to come in and be the speedy center fielder who would at the very least play defense like Jim Edmonds and steal bases when he got on.

Something unexpected happened right out of the gate, however, in spring training.

Jay bounced back and outplayed Bourjos. And it wasn’t even close.

This year the 29-year old from Miami is having a year that’s rivaling that breakout 2012. Through 300 Abs he’s hitting .313 with a .385 on-base percentage and already is worth 2.5 wins above replacement. He’ll never hit for a whole lot of power (just 15 doubles, 2 triples and 3 home runs) and he doesn’t steal bases (just 6).

But Jay is playing terrific defense again and he’s provided some stability to center field. That’s something this team hasn’t had since, well, his 2012 season.

Unfortunately, due to Jay’s lack of power and stolen base ability he’ll always be someone the team looks to improve upon if it can. Should a top flight center fielder become available on the free agent market the Cards could be interested due to their flexibility with the budget.

A power hitting center fielder or at least one who steals 30-40 bases would really be nice to have. And at Jay’s best, he’s never going to be that. If he was going to become that he would have already by the age of 29.

But in the time it takes the Cardinals to locate and actually pull the trigger on someone who can become the next star out in center, Jay is proving he can be a very nice complementary piece to this team.

He’s been doing it – save for one bad season in 2013 – for a half decade.

ST. LOUIS -- Having started the season with little promise of playing time and work to do to move up the depth chart, Jon Jay has recently become the toughest out in the Cardinals' lineup.

Now entrenched as the team's starting center fielder, Jay extended his season-best hitting streak to 12 games with a single in his second at-bat on Wednesday night and then followed that with hits in two of his next three to finish the homestand 11-for-19. He reached base another eight times by being hit by pitches six times and walking twice.

In three of the six starts he made during the team's 6-1 homestand, Jay was on base four times. His batting average has climbed to .313, which would rank as second-best in the National League if he had enough plate appearances to qualify for that leader board.

"Jon had a very good day for us again," manager Mike Matheny said after his club's 7-3 win vs. the Reds. "He continues to put together tough at-bats."Said Jay of his recent production: "I don't look at that. I'm just trying to help the team win games."

A table-setter atop the lineup for most of his career, Jay has emerged a run-producer while batting lower in the order this season. He returned to the two-hole on Wednesday, though that move was dictated primarily by Kolten Wong's absence and was one that Matheny suggested would be short-term.

"We needed someone in that spot. With Jon's ability to get on base, it fits," Matheny said of the lineup shuffle. "There's conversations that we've had about whether [having Jay hit second] would be a better fit right now, but if it didn't look like our offense was doing a nice job of clicking, it would be a greater discussion."

Center fielder Jon Jay is hitting .400 in August, so moving him up in the lineup might be a good idea. Jay is 13 for 28 (.464) in has last 10 games and has boosted his season average to .304 — second only to Matt Adams (.311) on the team.

Matt Holliday looked fresh Monday (2 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored) after taking Sunday off to rest nagging knee soreness.

ST. LOUIS -- In what almost qualifies as a news flash these days, Cardinals out fielder Jon Jay was not hit by a pitch Sunday. His body certainly could use a respite after being plunked five times in the previous four days.

In another development that hardly qualifies as a news flash these days, Jay delivered another big hit for the Cardinals on Sunday. His two-run single was the key blow in a four-run first inning that started the Cardinals on the way to a 5-0 lead that ended up a 7-6 victory over the Padres. Jay's two first-inning RBI came three days after he came through with a two-run double in the eighth inning that turned a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 victory over San Diego.

Thanks in no small part to Jay, the Cardinals won three out of four against the Padres to take some momentum into a three-game series against the struggling Reds, who were swept in a doubleheader at Colorado and dropped 8 1/2 games out of first place. On a day when Trevor Rosenthal threatened to blow a three-run lead for the Cardinals, Reds closer Aroldis Chapman walked the first four Rockies he faced and the Reds blew a four-run lead in the ninth to lose, 10-9. A 10-5 loss in the second game sends Cincinnati to Busch Stadium with seven losses in their past nine games.

The Cardinals still trail the first-place Brewers by three games but have built a 2 1/2-game lead on third-place Pittsburgh and a 5 1/2-game cushion on fourth-place Cincinnati.

Jay has done his part in helping the Cardinals to a strong start in a weeklong homestand.

After adding a seventh-inning single, Jay upped his batting average to .500 during a season-best, nine-game hitting streak in which he has driven in nine runs and scored eight. The career .294 hitter also raised his average for the season to .304, just four points behind team leader Matt Adams. Thanks in part to the HBPs, Jay has improved his on-base percentage to .372, just four points behind team leader Matt Carpenter.

For a guy who was supposed to have lost his job last offseason, the University of Miami's proudest alum is doing pretty darn well.

"He's having a nice year," manager Mike Matheny said Sunday. "Just look at what he's been able to do. I like the way he's going about it defensively, too."

No one seems overly bothered that Jay is getting hit almost as often as he is delivering hits. He has moved into the major-league lead with 14 HBPs this season, giving him an NL-most 43 over the past three seasons.

"He doesn't do a lot of bailing out when the ball comes at him," Matheny said. "Jon stays in there and takes it, not that he's leaning over the plate. But if they miss in at him, he's going to go ahead and wear it. They keep missing more on him than anybody else."

Added Jay: "Guys are going to throw inside to try to get me out. Sometimes they're going to miss inside. It's part of it. It's not a big deal to me. There's no secret or anything, and it's not like I'm trying to go up there and get hit by a pitch."

He was smiling as he talked, more pleased to be getting on base than perturbed by any pain he has absorbed. As he pointed out, the errant pitches have hit him on the lower half, where there is considerably more padding than the rest of the body.

Don't look for the lefty hitter to back off the plate or change his approach in the batter's box. He says getting plunked has been part of his game since his days at The U and he understands it is part of the hazards of a high OBP.

"I don't change. I'm going to keep doing the same things I always do," he said. "Just stay in there and have a good at-bat, try to let the ball get deep."Positive -- though sometimes painful -- things will happen, based on recent results.

ST. LOUIS -- Jon Jay wore a bit of Cardinals' history on Saturday night after he was once again hit by a pair of Padres pitchers. The same thing had happened a day earlier, too, making Jay the franchise's only player in at least 100 years to be hit by multiple pitches in consecutive games.

The accomplishment, if it can be described as such, was last achieved in 2000 by Houston's Craig Biggio, who was hit by pitches 285 times in his career. That is second most in Major League history.

As for Jay's recent propensity to take pitches off his body?

"He's a magnet for whatever reason," manager Mike Matheny said. "There are guys who are crowding and won't budge. It seems to be down low, which is obviously where a lot of guys are trying to pitch him. When they miss, they pull it a little bit much. He doesn't mind getting on base, I know that."

Jay has been hit a Major League-most 14 times this season, equaling the number of plunkings he took last season. In 2012, Jay was hit 15 times, fifth most in the Majors.

ST. LOUIS — Pinch-hitter Jon Jay wasn't choosy when he came up to bat for the Cardinals in the eighth inning.

Jay delivered a two-run double on the first pitch and right fielder Shane Robinson threw out the potential tying run at the plate in the ninth to help St. Louis hold off the San Diego Padres 4-3 Thursday night.

"I was trying to be aggressive," Jay said. "I wanted something over the plate I could handle. I was able to do that."

Jhonny Peralta hit an early two-run homer for the Cardinals, who moved ahead of Pittsburgh into second place in the NL Central. St. Louis remained two games behind division-leading Milwaukee.

San Diego had its five-game winning streak snapped and fell to 16-9 since the All-Star break.

Trailing by two in the ninth, the Padres loaded the bases with one out against closer Trevor Rosenthal. Pinch-hitter Jake Goebbert came through with an RBI single to right, but Alexi Amarista was cut down at home when he tried to score from second.

"You saw two major league players react to a play that indicated that a tag was missed," Black said. "You saw their catcher go back and try to tag our runner because he knew he missed him. You saw our player react knowing that he wasn't tagged. So you saw two experienced major league players react to a play that they both knew wasn't a tag.

"That's what's frustrating to us."

Cardinals catcher A.J. Pierzynski, who entered in the ninth, disagreed.

"I thought I got his arm," Pierzynski said. "I couldn't hear Bob. It was a big play in the game for sure. I couldn't see the umpire who was behind me. You just go. You hope they stay with the call. I think they got it right."

After a four-pitch walk to Will Venable loaded the bases again, Rosenthal struck out Tommy Medica for his 36th save in 40 opportunities.

Jon Jay drove in the game-winning run with an RBI single in the eighth inning of Tuesday's game against the Red Sox.

Jay was back in the lineup for the first time since July 29 as he'd been dealing with left wrist soreness, and he came up with a big two-out hit against Red Sox reliever Junichi Tazawa to give the Cardinals the win. The single was Jays' only hit in four at-bats on the night. The 29-year-old is hitting .288/.345/.366 and should get the majority of the playing time in center field moving forward if his wrist is right.

Watch baseball long enough and you’ll see pretty much everything the game has to offer. Like a guy striking out in a 4-2 count.

In the seventh inning of the Cardinals-Rays game in St. Louis on Wednesday, Jon Jay worked a full count against starter Alex Cobb. The next pitched missed the zone outside. That should have resulted in a walk, given that it was the fourth ball and all. Instead everyone -- Jay, the home plate umpire, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny -- forgot the count. Jay remained at the plate and struck out on the next pitch.

Vine courtesy of The Sporting News’ Ryan Fagan:

As you can see in the video, the only person who seemed to notice it was ball four was the graphics guy on Fox Sports Midwest. Matheny took blame for the miscue after the game.

If there is music thumping and sometimes spraying Iggy Azalea’s latest in the Cardinals’ clubhouse, it’s Jon Jay’s speakers at work. He is the self-appointed and uncontested clubhouse DJ. He popularized the term “Memphis Mafia” for his generation of Cardinals and even had T-shirts made. The nascent tradition that is High Socks Sundays, where players tug their pant cuffs up their calves to show the ringtails of their stirrups — he started it and coined the hashtag, “#highsocksunday”. He had T-shirts made for that, too.

He bats second and sometimes seventh. He plays center and sometimes right. He is the Cardinals’ player rep to the union, their shoe fashionista, an unofficial ambassador for Miami, and Friday he teased his hair as he waited to stand in the background of a music video being shot at Busch Stadium by Yadier Molina’s record label. Jon Jay has many roles for the Cardinals and his career shows that midway through the season he annually claims one more.Starter.

“It’s unfortunate that he’s had to prove himself every single year except for maybe last year (2013),” said infielder Daniel Descalso, a close friend and member of the “Mafia.” “It seems like people always want to write him off. He always shows up. He’s the same guy. He puts up the numbers, goes out there, and does a lot of the things that help us win. That’s despite what people may say or think.”

More than what they said or thought, it’s what the Cardinals did this past winter that put Jay, the team’s incumbent center fielder, in a familiar position — challenged. The Cardinals traded David Freese and Fernando Salas for outfielders Peter Bourjos and Randal Grichuk. Bourjos, a gifted defender, was a candidate for Jay’s position and Grichuk, a power prospect, was going to man center in Class AAA. With one trade, Jay lost a member of the “Mafia,” saw the true cost of a rising salary, and became bracketed by the potential present and future of his position.

How he has responded so far this season is familiar. For the third time in his career he’s emerged from a duel with a starter’s playing time. He took a .305 average into this weekend and had started 20 of the Cardinals’ previous 26 games.

“What we’ve seen around here is better than what he gets credit for,” manager Mike Matheny said. “As an organization we always want to figure out how we can get better and how we can complement what we have and the opportunity was there to bring in an exciting player like Peter. But I think everybody was running in the direction that we’ve turned the page (on Jay). I didn’t think that was fair.”

Jay, 29, started 21 of the team’s first 41 games before a surge that put him back, regularly, in the lineup. Entering Friday’s game against Philadelphia, Jay had hit .342 (25-for-73) over his previous 23 games. He turned production in those games into a recent run as the team’s No. 2 hitter, where Jay had a single and was hit by a pitch Friday.

He has wrested starts away from Bourjos and ascended to a primo spot in the order.

“The answer is yes it’s been beneficial — in two ways,” general manager John Mozeliak said. “One, for his own personal career, and he’s showing he’s a productive player. But, two, through this whole team concept we have is about getting opportunities. He is in the first third of the lineup and he’s been able to produce in a demanding time. He’s obviously had a good few weeks. I hope we continue to have production out of center field.”

The few good weeks hint at a contour that Jay has followed before. From 2010 to 2013, Jay started 54.0 percent of the Cardinals’ first-half games. During those same four seasons, he started 82.1 percent of the club’s second-half games. In 2010, his play made it possible to trade Ryan Ludwick for pitcher Jake Westbrook. In 2011, it was Jay who had pushed for playing time in center before the Cardinals sent Colby Rasmus to Toronto in the deal that defined a World Series championship team.

In 2012, Jay was a regular but won the open leadoff job in September and hit .310 with a .370 on-base percentage.

“I think that’s all coincidence,” Jay said.

A former teammate said “too often the media is quick to dismiss the importance of a player like Jay and what it means to be on winning teams.” Jay has been a constant for this current run of contending clubs. His 160 at-bats in the postseason are the fourth-most for the Cardinals since 2011’s run, and he’s one of two players remaining on the club who have played in all of the team’s playoff games since 2011. Molina is the other.

Yet, the Cardinals looked to replace Jay.

“This is probably the most frustrating spring of Jon’s career just from the fact that it looked like he was being painted into a corner,” Matheny said. “As much as we were trying to tell him differently, the opportunities were saying a different story.”

He entered last season as the unquestioned starter and struggled, reworking his swing on the job and slogging through the slump that caused. He revived at the plate in the second half with a .311 average and finished with 67 RBIs.

His defense lagged — a career-low minus-8 Runs Saved, per Baseball Info Solutions — and as the Cardinals sought an upgrade that play gave them an opening.

“I felt that last year was the year that is going to help me for the rest of my career,” Jay said. “Dealing with stuff. Learning a lot. I had to figure out a way to deal last year with not playing the way you’re capable of playing. That was frustrating.”

The shorter, simplified swing that emerged from that frustration is an asset. It’s something he can repeat, even with sporadic playing time in this season’s first month. He said this winter he had “a better plan” during his cage work. He would work smarter, not longer in the cage. The winter held another lesson for him as well. With the trade of Freese, Jay could see a friend leaving the clubhouse and, if he wanted to look for trends, his potential future.

A year ago, Freese sat in the Cardinals’ clubhouse and assessed his situation. Playing toward a second shot at arbitration and a raise, Freese said he could see Matt Carpenter inheriting his job, as Carpenter said, and “understood with our farm system there are a lot of options out there.” Jay is surrounded by them.Bourjos. Grichuk.

Oscar Taveras has played center. James Ramsey is blossoming.

Jay received a one-year, $3.25-million contract for this season to avoid an arbitration hearing. He’ll be due another significant raise after this season and could price his way out of the Cardinals’ model, especially if, yet again, they seek a challenger for center. The same vice of progress pinched Skip Schumaker and Freese before him. Jay remains the player rep because the business of the game fascinates him, but it also gives him an understanding of its reality.“It happens on every team,” Jay said. “Things come out of nowhere that you don’t expect. ... The lesson is you have to prove yourself everyday.”Right now, the clubhouse has given him control of the iPod and his production has him taking control of a role.

He does get a say in how long his music keeps playing.

“The bottom line is when you build a team it’s 25 guys and everybody is going to contribute and everybody is going to have to pitch in,” Jay said. “I’ve said this every year: In October, if we’re in the playoffs, it means I had a pretty good season. I contributed. I have the same goal this season. If when we look up in October and we’re in the postseason that means everybody in this clubhouse did their part, everybody on the roster did their part. We did what we’re supposed to do.”

If there is music thumping and sometimes spraying Iggy Azalea’s latest in the Cardinals’ clubhouse, it’s Jon Jay’s speakers at work. He is the self-appointed and uncontested clubhouse DJ. He popularized the term “Memphis Mafia” for his generation of Cardinals and even had T-shirts made. The nascent tradition that is High Socks Sundays, where players tug their pant cuffs up their calves to show the ringtails of their stirrups — he started it and coined the hashtag, “#highsocksunday”. He had T-shirts made for that, too.

He bats second and sometimes seventh. He plays center and sometimes right. He is the Cardinals’ player rep to the union, their shoe fashionista, an unofficial ambassador for Miami, and Friday he teased his hair as he waited to stand in the background of a music video being shot at Busch Stadium by Yadier Molina’s record label. Jon Jay has many roles for the Cardinals and his career shows that midway through the season he annually claims one more.Starter.

“It’s unfortunate that he’s had to prove himself every single year except for maybe last year (2013),” said infielder Daniel Descalso, a close friend and member of the “Mafia.” “It seems like people always want to write him off. He always shows up. He’s the same guy. He puts up the numbers, goes out there, and does a lot of the things that help us win. That’s despite what people may say or think.”

More than what they said or thought, it’s what the Cardinals did this past winter that put Jay, the team’s incumbent center fielder, in a familiar position — challenged. The Cardinals traded David Freese and Fernando Salas for outfielders Peter Bourjos and Randal Grichuk. Bourjos, a gifted defender, was a candidate for Jay’s position and Grichuk, a power prospect, was going to man center in Class AAA. With one trade, Jay lost a member of the “Mafia,” saw the true cost of a rising salary, and became bracketed by the potential present and future of his position.

How he has responded so far this season is familiar. For the third time in his career he’s emerged from a duel with a starter’s playing time. He took a .305 average into this weekend and had started 20 of the Cardinals’ previous 26 games.

“What we’ve seen around here is better than what he gets credit for,” manager Mike Matheny said. “As an organization we always want to figure out how we can get better and how we can complement what we have and the opportunity was there to bring in an exciting player like Peter. But I think everybody was running in the direction that we’ve turned the page (on Jay). I didn’t think that was fair.”

Jay, 29, started 21 of the team’s first 41 games before a surge that put him back, regularly, in the lineup. Entering Friday’s game against Philadelphia, Jay had hit .342 (25-for-73) over his previous 23 games. He turned production in those games into a recent run as the team’s No. 2 hitter, where Jay had a single and was hit by a pitch Friday.

He has wrested starts away from Bourjos and ascended to a primo spot in the order.

“The answer is yes it’s been beneficial — in two ways,” general manager John Mozeliak said. “One, for his own personal career, and he’s showing he’s a productive player. But, two, through this whole team concept we have is about getting opportunities. He is in the first third of the lineup and he’s been able to produce in a demanding time. He’s obviously had a good few weeks. I hope we continue to have production out of center field.”

The few good weeks hint at a contour that Jay has followed before. From 2010 to 2013, Jay started 54.0 percent of the Cardinals’ first-half games. During those same four seasons, he started 82.1 percent of the club’s second-half games. In 2010, his play made it possible to trade Ryan Ludwick for pitcher Jake Westbrook. In 2011, it was Jay who had pushed for playing time in center before the Cardinals sent Colby Rasmus to Toronto in the deal that defined a World Series championship team.

In 2012, Jay was a regular but won the open leadoff job in September and hit .310 with a .370 on-base percentage.

“I think that’s all coincidence,” Jay said.

A former teammate said “too often the media is quick to dismiss the importance of a player like Jay and what it means to be on winning teams.” Jay has been a constant for this current run of contending clubs. His 160 at-bats in the postseason are the fourth-most for the Cardinals since 2011’s run, and he’s one of two players remaining on the club who have played in all of the team’s playoff games since 2011. Molina is the other.

Yet, the Cardinals looked to replace Jay.

“This is probably the most frustrating spring of Jon’s career just from the fact that it looked like he was being painted into a corner,” Matheny said. “As much as we were trying to tell him differently, the opportunities were saying a different story.”

He entered last season as the unquestioned starter and struggled, reworking his swing on the job and slogging through the slump that caused. He revived at the plate in the second half with a .311 average and finished with 67 RBIs.

His defense lagged — a career-low minus-8 Runs Saved, per Baseball Info Solutions — and as the Cardinals sought an upgrade that play gave them an opening.

“I felt that last year was the year that is going to help me for the rest of my career,” Jay said. “Dealing with stuff. Learning a lot. I had to figure out a way to deal last year with not playing the way you’re capable of playing. That was frustrating.”

The shorter, simplified swing that emerged from that frustration is an asset. It’s something he can repeat, even with sporadic playing time in this season’s first month. He said this winter he had “a better plan” during his cage work. He would work smarter, not longer in the cage. The winter held another lesson for him as well. With the trade of Freese, Jay could see a friend leaving the clubhouse and, if he wanted to look for trends, his potential future.

A year ago, Freese sat in the Cardinals’ clubhouse and assessed his situation. Playing toward a second shot at arbitration and a raise, Freese said he could see Matt Carpenter inheriting his job, as Carpenter said, and “understood with our farm system there are a lot of options out there.” Jay is surrounded by them.Bourjos. Grichuk.

Oscar Taveras has played center. James Ramsey is blossoming.

Jay received a one-year, $3.25-million contract for this season to avoid an arbitration hearing. He’ll be due another significant raise after this season and could price his way out of the Cardinals’ model, especially if, yet again, they seek a challenger for center. The same vice of progress pinched Skip Schumaker and Freese before him. Jay remains the player rep because the business of the game fascinates him, but it also gives him an understanding of its reality.

“It happens on every team,” Jay said. “Things come out of nowhere that you don’t expect. ... The lesson is you have to prove yourself everyday.”Right now, the clubhouse has given him control of the iPod and his production has him taking control of a role.

He does get a say in how long his music keeps playing.

“The bottom line is when you build a team it’s 25 guys and everybody is going to contribute and everybody is going to have to pitch in,” Jay said. “I’ve said this every year: In October, if we’re in the playoffs, it means I had a pretty good season. I contributed. I have the same goal this season. If when we look up in October and we’re in the postseason that means everybody in this clubhouse did their part, everybody on the roster did their part. We did what we’re supposed to do.”

On Monday night St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay seemed to put an exclamation point on his argument to be the starting centerfielder for his club.Jay got on base three times, two by hit and one by a walk, and scored in all three instances. He's batting .307 for the season, nearly 100 points better than his chief competitor for the job, Peter Bourjos who's batting .206 in roughly the same amount of at-bats. Jay's getting on base at a .367 clip while Bourjos has a .279 on base percentage.

It's obvious that the Cardinals have responded to Jay's offensive spark. They've won their last four games -- in which Jay is batting .400. And they have won eight of 11. Over that span he's hitting .406 with a .457 on-base percentage and nine runs scored.

So why do I wake up this morning to read web posts from Cardinals fans who complain that he was unable to throw a runner out at the plate on a sacrifice fly and, therefore, his defense is "killing" the Redbirds?

I'm not up on the Common Core math standards. But my old school calculations tell me that Jay's three runs produces are roughly three times more valuable than the one run the complainers say he cost his team. But let's be realistic, when's the last time you saw a runner thrown out on a sacrifice fly? Does it happen once in 50 attempts? 100? It's obvious the Jay haters are grasping at straws on this occasion.

Earlier this season the contingency of people convinced that Bourjos is the superior player blamed manager Mike Matheny for not giving the imported former Anaheim Angels outfielder enough playing time to get into a groove. So Matheny gave Bourjos a second chance and he still couldn't produce.

From May 17-30 Bourjos played in nine games and had at least three plate appearances in eight those nine contests. He batted .182 with seven strikeouts and two walks. Since then, Bourjos has played about every other day, amassing 34 at-bats in a part time role. He's batting .176. Still he has his faithful supporters.

I remember sitting in the bleachers at a recent game hearing one fan say to another after Jay hit a grounder and got nipped at first by the throw "Bourjos would have beat that out."

The fan on the receiving end of the comment replied "Bourjos would have struck out."

Potential is one thing. Practice is another.

Anyway... I am not here to rip Bourjos. I am here to question why fans are so hostile toward a guy who was good enough to start for two St. Louis teams that made it all the way to the World Series.

I'm tired of hearing about what a superior outfielder Bourjos is. Regardless of his reputation, I can count his great plays this season on one hand. I am running out of fingers to count the times he's booted or dropped balls or laid up on balls in front of him that he had a chance to catch.

People act like Jay is the worst outfielder who ever lived. He's not, people. He's average at least. We're just spoiled from watching two of the greatest defensive centerfielders who ever lived, Jim Edmonds and Willie McGee. Those guys don't fall off of trucks everyday in front of the ballpark.

I don't want Bourjos to fail. I wish he would have even come close to his spring training boast that he was going to steal 30-40 bases this season. If he did, it would be good for the Cardinals as a whole because that would mean he was getting on base at an acceptable clip and the club would probably be scoring a lot of runs.

He just hasn't lived up to his billing. The season isn't over. Maybe he'll turn it around. But, in the meantime, can folks lay off Jay? Beyond the fact that he's played well enough in his four years in St. Louis to earn some respect from the club's alleged fans, it's obvious that not only has he been playing his butt off, but that he currently represents the best chance for this team to win. And if you've watched a Redbirds game over the last month and you don't realize that, you're in denial.

Jon Jay appeared to be the odd outfielder out when the Cardinals started the season.

General manager John Mozeliak acquired Peter Bourjos during the winter to play center field this season. A second outfielder acquired in that trade, Randal Grichuk, starred during spring training and moved onto the cusp of promotion.

Both players have excellent outfield range and stronger throwing arms than Jay.

Then there was Oscar Taveras, the franchise's next great hitting prospect. He got back to full speed during spring training and joined Grichuk on the career launching pad. Like Grichuk, he offered a tremendous power potential.

Those players pushed for roles on this year's team while Jay tried to bounce back from a disappointing year. Jay struggled during the first half of last season, hitting .213 in April and .231 in June.

He regrouped to hit .311 after the All-Star break, but then he went 3 for 16 in the NLDS, 4 for 18 in the NLCS and 3 for 18 in the World Series.

Combined with his struggles in center field -- where he misjudged a number of fly balls at inopportune times -- that offensive slippage seemed to doom Jay to a peripheral role at best on this team.

But while those around him struggled this season, Jay regained his familiar offensive and defensive form.

He is hitting .301 in 143 at bats. He still offers only gap power (seven doubles, one triple, one homer), but he has delivered some timely run production.

Jay is doing a much better job of tracking fly balls, too, reaching most balls hit into the gaps and over his head. He is once again serviceable in center field.As manager Mike Matheny ponders how to realign his roster and lineup with Matt Adams returning from the disabled list, Jay's recent 9-for-22 upturn should factor into the decision-making process.

But Jon Jay is definitely hitting like Jon Jay, which is one of the bright spots for this puzzling offense. He has played his way back into regular work in center field.

He should stay out there until he plays his way out of that assignment. Since he is 11 for 26 against lefthanded pitchers this season, there is no reason to platoon him with Bourjos right now.

(Peter, by the way, is 9 for 50 against lefties this season. Yikes!)

With Adams injured and the DH slot available, both Jay and Bourjos got an opportunity to play during the American League road swing. Jay fared better, so he should get the at bats until further notice.

Jay's surge also impacts the Taveras/Grichuk dilemma. With Jay deserving to play every day and Matheny feeling no urge to give Holliday or Craig much time off, there are not a many at bats for whomever fills the fifth outfielder slot.

Adams has a .924 OPS against righthanded pitchers, so he needs to start against them at first base. Against left-handed starters, Craig can play first, Jay can play right field and either Bourjos or the fifth outfielder could play center.

It would be much easier to find, say, 20 at-bats per week for Taveras if Jay were struggling. Oscar could start a game per week in center, spell Holliday and Craig from time to time against tough righthanders, start in right field versus lefties and double-switch into some games as a pinch-hitter.

But that plan doesn't make sense with Jay hitting .301 and Taveras 7 for 37 in his first big league tour.

Down the road, Mozeliak will have to sort the pile with a trade or two. For now, the Cardinals need to ride whatever hot hand they can find in the organization.Right now, Jay is one of those players. Who could have predicted this back in March or April?

What is it about Jay that Cardinals fans find so unappealing? The Cardinals' every day center fielder is quietly putting together another very respectable campaign, slashing .292/.347/.380. And yet no one is noticing.

Somehow, in the court of public opinion, Jay is the weakest link on this team.

I've heard Jay's name pop up in trade talks for the past couple of weeks (namely to Minnesota) and my immediate reaction has been, "good for whoever trades for him."

Jay could be a coup if another team is able to get the Cards the right pieces to acquire him. At present, the Cardinals are rich with outfield depth, churning out more quality prospects than Tom Emanski and possessing the cash flow to lock up anyone they deem worthy of a multi-year contract. That makes Jay easier to pry away for another team than he would be under normal circumstances, but Mozeliak and Co. shouldn't be listening anyway.

It's time for a riddle. What do Chris Davis, Starlin Castro, Allen Craig, Alex Rodriguez, Eric Hosmer, and Adam Dun have in common? They are part of a handful of a very large group of players that have failed to produce as many wins for their club as Jon Jay has since he became an everyday player in 2010. Need some more numbers to prove his worth? Consider these tidbits: • Among Cardinals, Jay has a lower batting average than only Matt Holliday and Yadier Molina. • Only Matt Carpenter and Holliday have a higher OBP • His .355 BABIP indicates his performance has little to do with luck • You could buy five Jon Jay's for the cost of one Jhonny Peralta • Jay has a higher slugging percentage than Holliday and Craig

Not the most mind-bending stuff in the world, but it does paint a picture of Jay's value relative to what his team has been doing. Furthermore, the guys that Jay is losing his playing time to, Bourjos, Craig, and Randall Grichuk, are the ones that probably need the most help on the team right now.

This isn't to say that Jay is the man and the Cardinals need to scrap all other centerfield plans to accommodate Jay's Ruthian bat, by any means. I'm just pointing out that he has been more productive and consistent than an awful lot of people give him credit for. Beside all the numbers, Jay has an excellent reputation in the clubhouse and the community and is one of the longest tenured players on the roster. It's not like team chemistry is the type of thing you can ride to a pennant if you aren't stacked with talent, but it's what pushes the special teams over the top. I think losing Carlos Beltran was a much bigger blow to the leadership and accountability of the clubhouse than the loss of the numbers he contributed, and the subtraction of Jay could have a similar effect.

So be critical, Cardinals fans; question everything, but recognize the individual talents of each player and understand what their role is and what is expected of him. Jon Jay is doing the job the team expects him to as much as anyone else in the lineup.

I've been tough on center fielder Jon Jay, but I try to be fair, and to that end I have to say he's really been one of the Cardinals' best players so far in 2014 ... and one of the most consistent Cardinals, too.

Granted, that isn't saying much considering the dull showing of the STL offense. But in terms of Cards' position players that are at least playing up to their ability level, it's difficult to find fault with Jay's performance. He's done a nice job so far.

Compared to most of the Cardinals' hitters, Jay isn't having an underachieving season. He's doing well. And this, despite the attempts to basically phase Jay out or at least greatly reduce his playing time.

Some small-sample factoids on Jay's 2014: • With a .295 batting average he's outhitting Matt Holliday, Allen Craig and Jhonny Peralta, among others. • Jay's .352 onbase percentage is topped only by Matt Carpenter (.393) and Holliday (.376.) • Jay's .388 slugging percentage puts him above Craig (.375), Holliday (.369) • In 73 plate appearances since April 30, Jay is batting .333 with a .384 OBP and .409 SLG. • Jay's .740 OPS ranks fourth among Cardinals' regulars. • Jay has driven in 17 of 104 runners on base; that may not look like much but that "OBI" (others batted in) percent of 16.3 % is the best among Cards' hitters that have at least 100 plate appearances. • Jay has been effective coming off the bench, going 9 for 20 (.450) after entering the game as a substitute.• When he leads off an inning, Jay is 8 for 20, or .400.• In "late and close" situations Jay is 3 for 10, or .300. • With runners in scoring position and two out, Jay is 6 for 18, or .333.

The Cardinals acquired CF Peter Bourjos from the Angels to displace Jay. Rookie outfelder Randal Grichuk was included in that trade. The Cardinals twice have promoted Grichuk from the minors and given him a few opportunities to start in center.

But in games in which they've played center field, Bourjos and Grichuk have combined to go 29 for 141 (.205) with 45 strikeouts. Bourjos' overall strikeout rate of 29.4 percent is the 23rd highest (worst) K rate among MLB hitters with at least 100 plate appearances so far.

Jay has been OK defensively, not nearly as good as Bourjos in the metric valuations. But is minus 3 rating in the John Dewan plus-minus system isn't atrocious.

Please understand what I'm saying here ...

I'm not saying Jay is a great player who should be in there every day no matter what. I'm not saying Jay should be the CF for the rest of the year, or next season.

But based on his track record and reasonable expectations, Jay is doing his part to help the Cardinals. He's getting his job done. And that's more than most Cardinals can say right now.

No sooner did Oscar Taveras arrive in St. Louis than the ESPN radio affiliate in Minneapolis/St. Paul reported that the Minnesota Twins may be interested in Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay.

Jay, 28, is batting .288 with one homer and 18 runs batted in so far this season with the Redbirds. He is a career .292 hitter with a .355 on-base percentage. But he found himself in a time share in centerfield this season with former Anaheim Angel Peter Bourjos who is batting .204 with a .274 on base percentage this year.

Both Taveras and fellow rookie Randal Grichuk are capable of playing centerfield and figure to fight with the two veteran outfielders (and slugging first baseman/outfielder Allen Craig when Matt Adams comes off the disabled list) for two slots in the outfield.

Someone needs to go. But I'm not sure it's Jay because of his vastly superior offensive numbers. The statistics say that Bourjos is the best outfielder in the group. But his play this season hasn't lived up to his reputation. He has a knack for falling short of fly balls and has made a couple of ugly plays including a dive in which he missed connections with the baseball Friday night.

I'm not sure that Bourjos, who was supposedly happy to escape Anaheim because he was never able to hold onto a spot in the starting lineup there, would be content to be a fifth outfielder in St. Louis. On the other hand, he probably has virtually no trade value at this point. So would the Cardinals release him for nothing in return?

I thought, dating back to last season, that Adams was the mostly likely to go because he can only play first base and he's a lefty hitter. With the lefty Taveras in the lineup alongside Kolten Wong, Matt Carpenter and potentially Jay, that's too many lefties.

If Adams was traded to a team that needs a slugging first baseman/designated hitter type, Allen Craig's righty bat could return to first base and there would be room for Taveras to play every day in right.

But Adams' recent injury probably takes him off the trade market. And I wonder if his value has cratered because he's chosen to become an opposite field singles hitter instead of a pull-happy slugger.

If the Cardinals were to trade with Minnesota, I wonder what Jay could fetch in return. Fans on the Twins chat boards seemed to think that a middling prospect sounded fair. Although other snarkily suggested that the Twins should offer former catcher Joe Mauer who is off to a slow start in his role as a converted first baseman.

Ironically, Mauer was the American League answer to Albert Pujols when the pair were nearing free agency at the same time, threatening to leave their small market clubs. Mauer signed with the Twins before he hit the open market -- and now Minnesota seems to regret his crippling contract -- while Pujols walked and the Cardinals were able to gain some financial flexibility to extend Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina.

ST LOUIS -- In a crowded outfield, Jon Jay has started to emerge as a player who will continue to receive consistent playing time.

"Obviously Jon's swinging the bat well," manager Mike Matheny said. "[He] had another big hit [Friday] night and continues to make the most of the opportunities he's had."

Over the last nine games entering Sunday's series finale against the Giants, Jay has hit .370 (10-for-27), making starts in six of nine games. Off the bench, the prototypical center fielder has gone 4-for-4.

Since the recent additions of young outfielders Randal Grichuk and Oscar Taveras on Friday and Saturday, Jay has started in center on both Saturday and Sunday.

"I just show up every day ready to go," Jay said. "I've been working hard, so I'm trying to stay ready."

Even while the Cardinals will work to get at-bats for their young outfielders, another spot in the lineup will present itself beginning Wednesday, when the Cardinals play in American League ballparks with a designated hitter spot for seven games.

When Cardinals center fielder Jon Jay took the plunge last summer and agreed to overhaul his swing in the middle of a season, hitting coach John Mabry kept reassuring him that the season is long and full of opportunities to gather hits. His would be there, eventually.

That reminder still echoes into this season.

Only it’s playing time, not just hits, that may be there in the end.

“He kept telling me, ‘You’re going to do your part. Put in the work,’” Jay said Tuesday before his start against the Yankees at Busch Stadium. “I’ve always been confident in my abilities as a player. Even as I struggled, I knew that it was part of my growth in the big leagues. It was something I had to get over. I went through a tough stretch and I had to fight through it.”

Jay merited the start Tuesday after entering Monday’s game in the 10th inning and going two for two with a double in the Cardinals’ 6-4 loss. Jay drove in the Cardinals’ one extra-inning run. The late-game production came after his last-minute start Saturday and the three-hit outing he had that day, spelling ill starter Peter Bourjos. Jay has had similar surges already this season, and each has been marked by an increase in playing time.

Entering the year, manager Mike Matheny discussed how there would be times he’d base the starts in center on “the hot hand” and other times when he’d let Bourjos and Jay both start for a stretch. Bourjos has received increased starts recently as the Cardinals seek to see the kind of results he gives with regular playing time — and where prospects Randal Grichuk and Oscar Taveras could fit in as June approaches.

Jay has had to adjust from starter to time-share.

“What I try explaining to all of these guys is the idea is to take advantage of the opportunities,” Matheny said. “We’ve put Jon in some big spots — whether it’s a pinch-hit role or as a defensive replacement that ends up getting some at-bats. He ends up going about it very well, as expected. That’s all we can ask of him.”This recent jag of production has raised Jay’s average to .294 from .267 in the span of seven games (three starts). While not in a strict platoon with the righthanded-hitting Bourjos, Jay has had limited exposure to lefties this season, but has hit .381 (eight for 21). He’s also posted a .348 on-base percentage against righties.

The reason behind the success in scattered starts goes back to the swing.

What Mabry and Jay set out to do last season was simplify the center fielder’s swing, reducing the churning motion of his hands — “helicopter hands,” Jay once called them — and making his timing better at the plate. The reward was a .311 average with a .379 on-base percentage in the second half. The residual effect has been a swing that he can keep going even if the at-bats are sporadic.“It’s easy to maintain your swing when you’re seeing pitches every day and doing things,” Jay said. “But I simplified it last year — that was the process — and by really learning my swing, what I want to do and why, that’s allowed me to know how you keep it going. Whenever my name is called, I’m trying to do the best I can.”

St. Louis Cardinals OF Jon Jay has taken over the platoon situation in center field over OF Peter Bourjos, and manager Mike Matheny plans on riding Jay's hot stick. "We're getting the guys in there who are taking good at-bats. Jon Jay has been taking some good at-bats," Matheny said. "Allen Craig has turned the corner and right now looks good in that second hole. Peter Bourjos is going to get good opportunities against a left-hander tomorrow. But right now Jon is taking the kind of at-bats we've got to capitalize on. We've got to get something going. Any guy in that lineup has potential to get us going." Jay is batting sixth Tuesday, April 22.

Fantasy Tip: If you own Bourjos in a mixed league, now is the time to start looking elsewhere, as long as Jay remains hot and in the good graces of the skipper.

It's funny the difference a little bit of time can back. In 2012, the St. Louis Cardinals centerfielder Jon Jay was on top of the world.

Riding the wave of the organization's 11th world championship, Jay had a career season. Over the course of the year, he became one of the league's best leadoff men.

Hitting .305 with 19 stolen bases in 2013, Jay was on top of the world. There were even talks of him being in the running for a Gold Glove award.While his glove was solid, Jay's arm left something to be desired.

How quickly things can change.

In 2013, Jay's defense took a serious hit. Both his arm and range seemed to decrease substantially, with little patience from the Cardinals fan base.

Offensively, he declined somewhat as well, but not as much as the hype would have one to believe.

A career .293 hitter, Jay batted .276 in 2013. Despite the lower average, he had 67 RBI (an increase of 27 over the previous season) and nearly doubled his home run total to seven.

Regardless of his offense, to go from being considered a possible Gold Glove-caliber outfielder to being a fourth outfielder at best is quite the slide.

With the Cardinals trading for Peter Bourjos, Jay was given some legitimate competition for 2014. So far, he's making a case that he should be back in the lineup.

And he started making that case early this year.

Since April 12, Jay is batting .346 with a home run and five RBI. He's not crushing the ball, but he is getting on base consistently.

Defensively, he's still struggling—but that's taking a back seat at the moment because Bourjos' offense has been slow to get going.

Batting only .190 through 42 at bats, Bourjos is still getting acclimated to his new team and home field. The season is still young and the front office still seems committed to giving him time to get warmed up, no position is guaranteed in this organization.

He who earns the job, will hold the position.

For now, Bourjos has the slot, but if he doesn't heat up soon that could change quickly.

Jon Jay has started three of the last four games in center field for the Cardinals.

Manager Mike Matheny is simply playing the hot hand, as Jay has four hits -- including a three-run homer -- in 12 at-bats over that stretch. "Jon has done a nice job, and I think that is something that all these guys need to know from us," Matheny said. "It is, ‘What do I need to get an opportunity to play?’ Jon had four quality at-bats (Wednesday). It’s a good day for him to keep that swing going." With the Nationals starting lefty Gio Gonzalez Friday, Peter Bourjos should be back manning center field.

Jon Jay got the start in center on Monday and hit a three-run homer off the Brewers' Matt Garza.

Jay has started five of the Cardinals' 13 games so far, with four of those coming in center. That's probably a bit more than he should play over Peter Bourjos, but the Cardinals do want to keep Bourjos healthy. Obviously, it worked out nicely tonight, with Jay making his first big contribution of the year.

Jon Jay will make his first start in right field for the Cardinals since 2011 in today's series finale against the Reds. First pitch is at 12:45 p.m. (FSM)

Jay has made appearances in right field since then -- he's been there twice already this season -- but has started only in center field since the Cardinals traded Colby Rasmus in 2011.

With the acquisition of Peter Bourjos, that might be a more commonplace event this season. Bourjos will start again in center field today.

Starting Jay in right field means a day off for Allen Craig (3 for 31, .097) and moves Matt Adams up to the cleanup spot against Reds righthander Mike Leake."I just wanted to get Jay going and I definitely wanted to get Allen Craig going," manager Mike Matheny said. "Sometimes a couple days -- I'm not saying we won't see Allen late in the game -- some time to get in here and get some extra swings, get out of the routine that isn't working for him right now. He's real close. He really is. I know he feels it. We're seeing some things that look like it. It's kind of breaking it up and giving him a couple days to get some things changed."

Craig has just one hit in his past 20 at-bats.

"It's amazing how it's magnified when it's at the beginning of the season," Matheny said. "This happens in June, July, people just say it's a little rut. Everyone wants to have a good start, no question. He'll be fine. You just have to go through it, figure it out, he'll be right where he's always been. ... It's confidence, rhythm. There a number of different things that go into it and none of them feel right for him right now. You're going to have those. I don't care how much success you've had or how long you've played. It's inevitable. It's just a matter of how quick you can get through it."

Jay, meanwhile, has had just eight at-bats in the first eight games. He's hitting .250 with two runs batted in.

Otherwise, the lineup is pretty similar to what Matheny used on Tuesday night. With an off day on Thursday, Yadier Molina will start behind the plate for the day game after the night game.

St Louis Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay used to be the starting center fielder. He lost that job in Spring Training to Peter Bourjos, whom the Cardinals acquired from the Los Angeles Angels for David Freese. Although he had a terrible spring, Jay is making the most of his opportunities so far in this young season.

Jay does not have the speed or range of Bourjos. What he does have are reliability and durability. Jay holds the NL record for errorless games by a center fielder at 245. He has only one stint on the DL, when he injured his shoulder in 2012 running into the wall at Busch Stadium. He’s a somewhat streaky hitter, but he often gets clutch hits. In his two starts so far this year, he has two RBIs and they were key. Both times the Cardinals were behind and Jay’s hits tied the game.

Bourjos is getting off to a very slow start for his new team. Pitchers Adam Wainwright and Joe Kelly have more hits than he does. He has one error, although it was on a ball that Jay might not have gotten to. His speed on the bases will be exciting to see if he ever gets on. As the old saying is that you can’t steal first base.

It’s clear so far in this young season that Jay is not going to ride the bench without a fight. That’s a good attitude for him to have, because even more competition may be coming his way soon.

Most of the time manager Mike Matheny intends to keep his corner outfielders in place in the lineup -- and thus, in place in the field -- but there will be times when center fielders Peter Bourjos and Jon Jay are both roaming the field at the same time.

Matheny said at those times "there's not reason" Bourjos won't be in center.

Jay gets to go retro, back to his days as the moveable outfielder.

This afternoon, the Cardinals "visit" the Miami Marlins for an exhibition game at Roger Dean Stadium and both Bourjos and Jay are in the starting lineup. Jay is in right. Lance Lynn makes his penultimate start of spring training and will be shooting for that 80-pitch mark reached yesterday by Carlos Martinez.

Bourjos is considered one of the superior defensive players in the game, able to expand his range in center because of his speed. Jay has cracked the Cardinals' lineup several times before as a fourth outfielder-type, first edging Ryan Ludwick for playing time in right field and then replacing Colby Rasmus as the full-time center fielder after playing well enough to allow that trade in 2011. Matheny has talked about how all three of his center fielders -- Bourjos, Jay, and Shane Robinson -- could play all three spots in the field, of course, but if any combination of the three is going to be in the field at the same time, it will be Bourjos in center.

"This guy is here as a plus plus defender when he comes into the game there is little reason not to put him in center field," Matheny said several days ago. "Even if he comes into a game where Jon is in center and maybe we do some defensive replacements, it makes a whole lot more sense to move Jon around and keep Peter in center."

Those situations would include when Allen Craig shifts to first base out of right field and replaces Matt Adams. That could be in a game against a lefty or late in a game for defensive purposes.

Jon Jay is looking good so far; he seems to have made positive changes in his swing. He's also maintaining a classy, team-first attitude and has had nothing but nice things to say about Peter Bourjos.

I've assumed all along that Bourjos (if healthy) will get much of the playing time; GM John Mozeliak really wanted to upgrade the CF defense, and that's why he made the deal to acquire Bourjos.

But Jay will have a say in this, and it's at least possible for the playing time to loosely fall along platoon lines, with Jay vs. RH pitching and Bourjos vs. LHP.This is going to be a little more interesting that I anticipated.

JUPITER, Fla. -- As Jon Jay and Pete Kozma went about fixing and finding their swings this offseason, they also had differing messages to consider.

There was one of verbal affirmation, with manager Mike Matheny sending both players home not just with a to-do list but also a reminder that the Major League club still valued them.

Then there was the point implied through the Cardinals' subsequent activity. Within a four-day span in November, Jay and Kozma -- both starting position players last year -- no longer had assurances of regular playing time. General manager John Mozeliak did not mince his words, either. Subpar results from the shortstop and center-field spots in 2013 necessitated that the Cardinals made additions in both areas.

For Jay and Kozma, their place in the organization would be determined on which message resonated more. The verdict?

"I've seen them handle it like pros," Matheny said on Sunday. "They couldn't have handled it much better."

Neither Jay nor Kozma had a chance to prove the payoffs of their offseason work before the Cardinals bumped both down the depth chart. The starting shortstop job is now Jhonny Peralta's. Even a bench spot will be tough for Kozma to find with Mark Ellis and Daniel Descalso in the mix.

Jay won't end up back in Triple-A, but he's likely to spend much more time on the bench. Best-case scenario for him would be to open the season with a timeshare in center.

For two players who combined for 1,076 plate appearances and 254 starts last season, it's bound to be a transition. They left camp a year ago as starters on a postseason-bound club. Now, they're merely seeking a fit.

"We've gotten a lot better by acquiring guys. That's what you want," Jay said. "It's easy for me. All you think about is October. You think about those playoff experiences. You think about going to the World Series and being a part of these special teams where hopefully in 10 or 15 years we talk about the great run we've been on. It's easy for me to put that [individual stuff] aside and just really focus on the team."

Both players entered the offseason knowing that future playing time would hinge predominately on whether they could improve with the bat. Kozma needs to offer more offensive production to complement his above-average defensive ability. Jay's defensive deficiencies could be better veiled with more consistency at the plate.

The two tried a series of in-season adjustments in 2013 but found it difficult to tweak mechanics in a setting where results were scrutinized. It was in pressure-less environments where the work was finally able to get done.

Kozma spent his winter days on the campus of Oral Roberts University, where he tried to right all that went wrong during the second half of the 2013 season. He practiced a shorter swing and was intentional about keeping his front side closed longer. It was his tendency to fly open that had caused him to pull so many pitches.

"Mechanically, things fell apart during the season," Kozma said. "It's pretty tough because I felt like I was doing things one way throughout the first half, and then they started pitching me differently in the second half and I couldn't adjust because my mechanics were off. It was probably one of the toughest that I've ever had at any level."

Kozma finished the season with a .217 average. His slugging percentage of .273 was the lowest of any player at any position in either league who logged at least 350 plate appearances. He had an OPS+ of 54. Though the Cardinals had one of the National League's best offenses, it became tough to hide Kozma in the bottom of the lineup by season's end.

"You practice in game time, so sometimes the results sometimes are not what you want," hitting coach John Mabry said. "But sometimes you have to go backwards to go forward. The thing is that you have to have the ability to give it time. It's tough to be playing a highly demanding position like shortstop and make these adjustments. It really says a lot about how tough he is mentally because to be asked to do that and still compete defensively [is difficult]."

Kozma delivered a pinch-hit single on Saturday, and he went 1-for-2 with a two-run double on Sunday.

"It's a little different than last year," Kozma said. "I'm going to have to compete and fight for a job. But that's why we're all here. We're here to try to make a big league team. If I don't, so be it. But I'm out here trying my best to make this squad."

Jay was exposed offensively and defensively in 2013, though he salvaged his starting job by batting .308 over the final three months. Still, he fought with his swing throughout the year.

In late April, he attempted to reduce the amount of movement in it. That worked for a while, but Jay eventually went back to his old ways. With offseason work in Miami this winter, Jay has made "some obvious adjustments," to use Matheny's words, to make his setup simpler.

"He knows what is at stake," Mabry said. "He has a good mindset. He's not going to let the game outwork him. He understands what it takes because he's been here a few years. Right now he has a really good idea of where he's at and what he's doing. Again, it's another case of the repetition part of it is a lengthy process. Until you get comfortable and trust the work that you did in a game speed situation, that's the test of all tests."

Jay entered Sunday with one hit (a single) in his first three spring at-bats. The two outs he hit into would have both gone over the fence had the wind been blowing another direction. It's been enough to get Matheny's attention.

Jay has made an impression on the backfields and in the clubhouse, too, where he continues to assert himself as a leader despite no guarantee of playing time.

"We've all seen that where a guy says, 'OK, this group has given up on me,'" Matheny said. "We made sure we told them, 'Just make sure you stay the course. Just keep working on what you're working on. This stuff will take care of itself.' You can't control what's being said. All you can really control is how you handle this, first off. And two, just come out and work. If it takes you proving people wrong, if that's your motivation, then jump all over it. Come back with a plan on how you're going to continue to get better.'

"Both of them are very capable Major League players. And I see more upside. I see better [upside] than we have ever seen before in them."

MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch says Jon Jay may play all three outfield spots for the Cardinals this year in an attempt to get at-bats.

"I've done it before," Jay said. "I have played left field. I have played right field. It's a luxury on our team. We have so many guys who are so talented that they can step up to play any given day and do a good job. It's one of those things that's going to give our team flexibility." Langosch suggests Jay may be largely relegated to a bench role with the arrival of Peter Bourjos, so he may have to fill a super sub role as a fourth outfielder to find playing time. The 28-year-old is coming off a season in which he hit .276/.351/.370 as the team's everyday center fielder.

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay would walk down the block from his childhood home to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade location on 32nd Avenue and U.S. Highway 1.

As an 8-year-old, a few of his teammates included Padres first baseman Yonder Alonso, Rays infielder Sean Rodriguez and former Orioles infielder Robert Andino.

"It's really where I started off," Jay said. "People see me now in the Major Leagues, and I was fortunate. That's where the long journey started. That's where I fell in love with the game of baseball."

Jay, who will enter his fifth big league season in 2014, hosted the Jon Jay FMSbonds Celebrity Bowling Challenge Friday night at Lucky Strike Miami Beach.The event raised more than $50,000 during its first two years, and Jay hoped he could eclipse that total with the help of some famous friends.

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado, Cardinals right-hander Jason Motte, Dodgers left-hander Paco Rodriguez, Phillies outfielder John Mayberry Jr. and Pirates first baseman Gaby Sanchez were some of those in attendance.

Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez, whose group won the bowling challenge in 2012 and finished second in 2013, could not make it in order to take part in Saturday's NatsFest.

Alonso, one of Jay's former childhood and University of Miami teammates, has come every year.

"It's a nice touch by Jon Jay and the family obviously getting everything together," Alonso said. "It's something that's becoming a routine for us. It's fun and enjoyable, and it's obviously for a good cause."

All 14 bowling lanes sold out. This year, they even sold tickets to people who just wanted to hang out by the billiards tables or watch the bowling action. Others danced to top-40 music played by a disc jockey. There was also an auction of memorabilia.

Proceeds will benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade to support its programs, which range from after-school education to sports programs for 10,000 area youth.

"He never forgot about where he came from," said Alex Rodriguez-Roig, executive director of Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade. "He's so well-liked that everybody wants to go out and support him and be part of this great event."

It's already made an impact on 14-year-old Santino Lizarazo. He and 15 other kids from the South Beach club took up a lane, trading spares and strikes.

"That's pretty cool because you're at the same level as him when he was younger, so you could be like him," said Lizarazo, who has been with the club for four years. "For him to give back to the community -- we watch his games -- is really cool."

Jay, who came up with the bowling idea, thought it would be a nice change from the usual charity golf tournaments.

Bowling encourages everyone, particularly families, to be social. And while helping a good cause.

"It's the goal for everyone to see we're role models," Jay said. "We want to keep it growing and moving and something that's a long term. It's not just for when I'm playing. It's something I want to do for the rest of my life."

Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports that Jon Jay is looking forward to competing with Peter Bourjos for the team's starting role in center field.
While he faces an uphill battle, the 28-year-old outfielder is approaching this offseason the same way that he's approached any other, under the impression that he'll be playing on a regular basis. As a likely fourth outfielder though, his fantasy value is extremely limited.

ST. LOUIS -- In an offseason already highlighted by his November wedding, Jon Jay has been busy planning another big event, one that offers him a chance to assist a local organization whose impact hits close to home -- both literally and figuratively -- for the Cardinals outfielder.

For the third straight year, Jay will host the Jon Jay FMSbonds Celebrity Bowling Challenge at Lucky Strike in Miami Beach, Fla. The event, which sold out its space each of the last two years and has raised over $50,000 for charity, will again benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade. The charity beneficiary was not chosen by chance, either.

After donating the proceeds of his first bowling event to the Chapman Partnership, a Miami-area group that helps the homeless, Jay decided to partner with the Boys & Girls Clubs. He had long hoped to give back to this organization specifically, as it was a resource he directly benefited from as a child growing up in South Florida.

"I always knew I wanted to do something in Miami to help out," Jay said. "I grew up in the Boys & Girls Club in Miami, so it became a perfect fit. I used to walk there."

In order to help stir interest in the event, Jay has elicited the participation of other Miami athletes and celebrities and Cardinals teammates to participate in the bowling night. Previous attendees include baseball players Daniel Descalso, David Freese, Allen Craig, Lance Lynn, Mike Lowell, Gio Gonzalez, Tyler Greene, John Mayberry, Blake Tekotte, Luis Exposito and Chris Marrero. The Miami Heat's Chris Bosh has stopped by, as well as actor Bryan Greenberg and celebrity chef Richard Ingram.

Among those expected to attend this year's event -- which will be held Jan. 24 from 7-10 p.m. ET -- are Orioles infielder Manny Machado, Padres first baseman Yonder Alonso and NFL player Jimmy Graham.

"It's been incredible, the turnout and how the community has received this," Jay said. "It's heading in the right direction of where we want to go. We're at the point now where we're at our third year, and we have a vision of really extending this and taking it to the next level."

A portion of the money donated to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade will be allocated to the organization's baseball program, of which Jay was a member. It will also help a mentorship program that Jay and his father established through the Boys & Girls Clubs to assist boys ages 6-20 with overcoming obstacles associated with growing up in the inner city.

Jay remains active with this program while in Miami during the offseason. His father makes several weekly visits to work with these boys each week of the year.

"It's hard growing up in the inner city, but we want them to know something can come of it," Jay said. "Through the inner-city program, we traffic a lot of kids to play baseball from the inner cities. It's growing. We envision the program growing and reaching out to other parts of the inner city to help more people. We want to show them that working hard and having a good attitude can take you far."

Jay used the recognition gained from being a part of the Cardinals' 2011 World Series championship club to get his dream of hosting a bowling event off the ground, and support from key sponsors FMSbonds and Emerson Electric Company have helped grow the event. Jay had a connection to both companies through family friends.

For more information on the event and/or to secure a spot to bowl in the Jon Jay Celebrity Bowling Challenge, visit jonjaychallenge.com. Bowling spots can be reserved as individuals or teams. For those not able to participate in the event, there is an opportunity to make a donation to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade through the website as well.

The acquisition of center fielder Peter Bourjos and the anticipated MLB arrival of top prospect Oscar Taveras raises an obvious question as we take an overview of the potential Cardinals' roster for 2014:

What will become of incumbent CF Jon Jay?

It's a tricky question to answer. There are many layers to this, so let's go through them:

* To retain Jay for 2014, Cards management will have to pay Jay between $3 million and $3.5 million next season. (The price is pumped up by the traditional, institutional, arbitration-years salary boost.) That's good money for a player that might be a fourth or even fifth oufielder. And after all, GM John Mozeliak was reluctant to pay 3B David Freese $4 million-plus for a part-time role in 2014, and moved him to Anaheim in the Bourjos deal.Is Mozeliak looking to trade Jay? Don't rule it out. But that's based on other variables, including Taveras' status as he rehabs from ankle surgery. More on that later.

* Then we have manager Mike Matheny warning reporters that it would be unwise to assume that Bourjos will start in center. This would qualify as major news to Mozeliak, who made the trade for a reason: to significantly enhance this team's dreadful outfield defense. And Bourjos, when healthy, arguably has the best CF glove in baseball. Jay was among the worst center fielders in the majors last season, with minus 10 defensive runs saved according to Bill James online. The Cardinals need a rangy sweeper in center to cover for the limited defensive range in left and right.

* Matheny's pledge to throw the job open to competition is a contradiction. He increasingly benched Jay in favor of Shane Robinson when the Cardinals encountered LH starting pitching late in the season. From Aug. 1 through the end of the World Series, Jay had 60 plate appearances vs. lefties; Robinson had 47. And their number of PA vs. lefties was the same from Sept. 1 until the conclusion of the postseason. I think Matheny is being a nice guy here.

* Unless, of course, the Cardinals are strongly considering a platoon in center field. That would mean the LH-swinging Jay vs. RH pitchers, and the RH-swinging Bourjos vs. lefthanded pitching. But again, that's highly unlikely for multiple reasons including these two: (1) there are many more RH pitchers than LH pitchers. As a point of reference the 2013 Cardinals had 4,589 plate appearances vs. RHP and 1,613 vs. LHP. It makes no sense to trade for Bourjos and have him parked on the bench as a nominal platoon piece. You don't improve your outfield defense with Bourjos in the dugout. And (2) Bourjous hasn't hit LHP very well, anyway. That's another reason why it makes little sense to go with a platoon-heavy arrangement.

* And if the Cardinals wish to give a LH-hitting outfielder at-bats against RH pitching, I'd imagine they'd be inclined to distribute them to Taveras. The Cardinals say Taveras will be healthy and ready to go when the spring-training games begin. (They'll be able to reaffirm that after giving Taveras an extensive inspection later this month.) So if Taveras is ready to roll, wouldn't it make sense to give him his share of at-bats as a center fielder? You wouldn't have Taveras on the big club unless you can give him enough plate appearances to expedite his development. I talked to Mozeliak about this, and he said the club's preference is to have Taveras on the opening-day roster — but the team can't rule out a return to the minors, at least for the start of the season.

* If Taveras sticks at the start, I would think the goal would be to get Taveras as much playing time as the Cardinals gave rookie 1B Matt Adams in 2013. We're talking 350 plate appearances or so. And that can be done by (A) playing Taveras in center when Bourjos is scheduled for days off, is slumping, or banged up; (B) playing Taveras in RF when Allen Craig needs a day off or is nursing a minor injury; (C ) playing Taveras in RF when Adams sits, with Craig starting at first base; (D) playing Taveras in LF on Matt Holliday's off days. If you don't think this is likely, please consider: the Cardinals managed to get 382 plate appearances for Adams last season, and Adams plays only one position. Taveras can play all three OF spots, so getting him 350+ PA shouldn't be an issue.

* Before we write Jay off, let's remember that he does have some offensive value. In 1,491 career plate appearances vs. righthanded pitching Jay has batted .300 with a .360 onbase percentage and .417 slugging percentage. Jay was in the range of that career standard in 2013 when he hit .291 with a .363 onbase percentage and a .386 SLG vs. righthanders. You don't get much home-run wattage from Jay, which is a minus. But he does get on base against RH pitchers, and that could be useful as the Cardinals strive to have a deeper more versatile bench in 2014.

* Jay also would provide potentially valuable insurance. And that's a key consideration for several reasons. Bourjos has a history of injury problems. So does Craig. And not only is Taveras is coming off ankle surgery, but he's unproven as a center fielder. Taveras projects, long-term as a corner outfielder.

* If Bourjos gets hurt, would the Cardinals be willing to go all-in with Taveras in center? Would they be willing to commit to Shane Robinson in center? I'm not sure how Mozeliak feels about that. But if Bourjos is sidelined, you certainly could envision a scenario that has Taveras starting in center, with Robinson starting some games or being used extensively as a defensive replacement when the Cardinals want to protect late-inning leads.

It's difficult to find an easy, snap-into-place answer to the Jon Jay query.

The Cardinals also have other young outfielders on the way to the majors, though at the moment there's no compelling reason to rush Stephen Piscotty, James Ramsey or Randal Grichuk here in '14.

The possibilities are all over the outfield map.

Make no mistake: The GM traded for a player with the clear goal of going in a different direction in center field. But the manager says Jay still has a chance to be a starter. Depending on who you believe, Jay could play a lot, or hardly at all.

Jay's presence, at $3 million or so, could be an unnecessary extravagance. But his presence could be vital in the event of injuries; after all this team has won two NL pennants, a World Series and made it to the postseason with Jay as its starting center fielder from 2011-2013. Or Jay could be relocated in a trade.

My best guess is that the Cardinals will hedge their bet on Bourjos and keep Jay around. But how he'd be used is undetermined, and largely dependent on the injury factor and the prominence of the Taveras role in 2014.

We have solved nothing here today, but this does make for a good baseball discussion. As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome.

DENVER • Cardinals center field Jon Jay has at least one plate appearance this season at every spot in the order except for cleanup, and with teammate Allen Craig out with a foot injury the former leadoff hitter has been recast as the No. 2 hitter.

With it, the Cardinals’ lineup has a different look.

Jay, who spent much of 2012 as the team’s leadoff hitter, has hit .267 with a .343 on-base percentage this season in the No. 2 spot. Monday was his 31st start there.

Carlos Beltran has been the regular in the No. 2 spot ahead of Holliday, but with Craig not available the switch-hitting Beltran is batting fourth.

“Jay finds ways to get things done,” manager Mike Matheny said. “I think (Beltran) was confused a little bit about what his role was — am I supposed to be a table-setter? The way I pictured it when you’re in the lineup, when you’re in that second batting position, I look at it as we have two three-hole hitters. That’s the way I want (Beltran) going about his at-bats there.

"With Jon Jay it’s a little different. He realizes he’s going to go in and do the little things right. He’s very good about getting runners over. He’s got a good idea when to put the bunt down and try to get something going.”

Jon Jay has a lot of fans in St. Louis. But he shouldn’t expect any Christmas cards with a Pittsburgh return address.

Jay, whose resurgence couldn’t have come at a better time for the unsinkable Redbirds, has worn out the Pirates all year and is a big reason why the club finds itself atop the National League Central Division.

In fact, if the Cardinals played the Pirates in all 19 games remaining this season, you probably wouldn’t hear him complain.

Jay is 22-for-56 against the Bucs in 2013, a .393 average, with five doubles, 10 RBIs and 13 runs scored. He was especially pleased to see Morton on the bump for the Pirates because he beats him like a rented mule.

Jay is 6-for-14 against Morton this season, a .429 average in a small sample size. Morton, who couldn’t finish two innings in Sunday’s game, left due to a foot injury trailing 5-0.

You’ll forgive Morton if he wakes up screaming in the middle of the night before trips to Busch; he is 1-4 there with an ERA of about 7. Coming into Sunday’s game, Morton was one of the Bucs’ most effective pitchers recently. He was 3-0 in his last three games and surrendered only two earned runs in 20 innings of work.

Sunday, not so good. His line reads six hits, five earned runs, and two walks in an inning and two-thirds for an ERA of 27 and a WHIP of nearly 5. Ouch.Jay and his teammates now face the Milwaukee Brewers, a team, it has been written, that will play a large role in determining who wins the Central title.Nearly a third of the remaining 19 games are against the Brew Crew, so how does Jay stack up against them?

Well, if he’s lights out against the Pirates, he dims them considerably against the Brewers; 16-for-45 for a .356 average with 12 RBIs, two taters and an OPS of .983. Curiously, he has also been hit three times by Brewers pitchers, perhaps to express their displeasure at his success against them.

The season ends with three against the Chicago Cubs, Jay’s third favorite team in the Central. Against the Northsiders, Jay is 19-for-55 (.345) with five doubles, a homer and 9 RBIs. And has been hit twice.

In light of that, perhaps Jay should not expect too many Christmas cards from anywhere other than St. Louis, which, no doubt, is fine with him.

MILWAUKEE -- Jon Jay entered Monday hitting .377 in August and leading the National League with 26 hits in the month, many of them important ones for the Cardinals.

His 27th hit on Monday was a big one, too.

Jay launched a tiebreaking two-run home run -- his seventh of the year -- to left-center field in the sixth inning to help the Cardinals to a 4-2 lead in their eventual 8-5 win over the Brewers at Miller Park.

"That's two big ones for us, opposite field like that," said Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, referring to Jay's three-run homer on Sunday in the Cardinal's 6-1 win over the Cubs. "He's got something really good going. Just like to see it continue for a couple months."

Jay has a .273 batting average, 20 points above the .253 mark he entered August with. He said recent mechanical changes with hitting coach John Mabry have contributed to his success.

"Just playing one day at a time," Jay said. "Just figure out a way to put the barrel on the ball more consistently. Working hard every day and trying to win some guys."

Jay entered August with 14 doubles and 39 RBIs in 409 plate appearances, but he has eight doubles and 17 RBIs in 73 at-bats this month. His on-base percentage was up from .331 to .346 and his slugging percentage rose from .346 to .382.

But Matheny said you would never be able to tell how well its going for the 28-year-old center fielder just by looking at him.

"You go up and you talk to Jon Jay every day and you can't tell if he's eight for his last eight or oh-for his last 12," Matheny said. "That's a great quality as a younger guy in our premium position like he is in center field. He brings that every single day."

Matheny said Jay has been pivotal to the Cardinals push this month, and has resembled the hitter who hit .305 for the team in 2012.

"We need everybody pulling their weight and everybody doing their part in order for us to be as good as we can be, and Jon's doing his part," Matheny said. "With that, we know there's going to be ups and downs offensively, but … he is that hitter we saw last year. Hitting over .300 and putting together tough at-bats for us. And we know what kind of defender he is, so he's continuing to build himself into the kind of player that he should be, and right now he's just on a good run."

Jon Jay finished 2-for-3 with a walk, double, home run, four RBI and two runs scored in Sunday's win against the Cubs.

Jay's second four-RBI game of the season featured his first homer since July 3. The three-run blast off James Russell in the seventh expanded St. Louis' lead to 6-1, the game's final score. Jay is batting .273 with six homers and 54 RBI through 121 games.

For the third time in Friday night’s game, Jon Jay found himself on the basepaths. He had already doubled in the second and fourth innings, trying his best to give the struggling Cardinals offense a spark. But one batter later, for the third time in Friday night’s game, Jay found himself walking back to the dugout at the end of the sixth inning rather than crossing home plate.

It’s a frustrating time for the Cardinals’ outfielder to catch fire.

He already has three, three-hit games, five doubles, and 15 hits in the first nine days of August, but unfortunately for Jay, most of those hits have left him in the same spot he was stuck on Friday.

Stranded on the basepaths.

“We had a few chances (to score tonight),” manager Mike Matheny said. “We had a good start by Lance (Lynn). We had a few (chances), but we just couldn’t capitalize.”

Jay has heated up since the All-Star break, hitting .342, with seven doubles, and 25 hits. He came into Friday night’s game hitting only .163 against lefthanded pitchers and still managed to get three hits off of Cubs lefty Chris Rusin.

“Stuff is starting to work out,” Jay said following Friday night’s 3-0 loss. “(But) it’s not about individual results. It’s definitely frustrating when you can’t score runs.”

Before this month, Jay has struggled to maintain a hot streak all year. He has switched off from hot to cold in every month to start the season, hitting .213 in April, .284 in May, .231 in June and .284 in July.

Now, Jay has jumped right out of the gate since the All-Star break and has once again been terrific so far in August. In the same month last season, he hit .355 with 38 hits, 16 runs and 11 RBIs.

But not including the three runs he scored Aug. 1 against Pittsburgh, Jay has only crossed the plate five times since the break. In the first five games of their 10-game home stand, the Cardinals’ struggling offense have only managed to score eight runs, resulting in a 1-4 record.

“I think we have the kind of team and enough depth and experience that guys shouldn’t allow something like that to last very long,” Matheny said. “You’re going to have times when you’re just not going to be able to produce offensively. Hopefully your pitching keeps you in the game, which our pitching did (tonight). In general, our offense has been very consistent all season.

“We’ve got to get it done. Games like this, we’ve got to get it done. I think we’re all just kind of fed up with excuses. When it comes down to the bottom line, we’ve got to score runs, we’ve got to score more than them, we’ve got to keep runs from scoring.”

“We still have got plenty of games left, and we are a good team,” Jay said. “It’s just the way baseball goes. We’re going to keep pushing, and we’re going to be all right.”

ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Jon Jay is a friend and former teammate of Ryan Braun's at the University of Miami.

The Milwaukee Brewers' Braun was suspended for 65 games Monday for violation of baseball's substance-abuse policy.

"I was just as shocked as everyone else," said Jay, the Cardinals' player representative. "I'm glad that he was finally able to come out and put this behind him and move forward. It just shows that Major League Baseball's doing the best job (it) can to clean the game up, and I'm proud to say that. I'm happy about that.

"I believe in doing what's right, and the right thing is if you've cheated or done something that you're not supposed to do, you should be punished for it. I'm all for that; I believe that. I'm glad everything got resolved. ... Everyone knows the truth now and we've got to move on."

Jay still considers Braun a friend.

"My thoughts aren't going to change on him," Jay said. "He's been there for me and (has) been a good friend. I've learned a lot from him over the years. I'll stand by that. But I'm happy the system is working. He admitted to cheating and I'm glad he's getting punished for it."

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, who played with Mark McGwire in St. Louis and Barry Bonds in San Francisco, disdains PEDs.

"It's cheating the game," Matheny said. "It's no good for our kids that are watching, the next generation of fans. But the guys who are directly impacted are the other players who are clean. ... Their salaries are being measured against the guys who are cheating."

Matheny said playing in the PED era of the late 1990s and early 2000s was "a weird time."

"Many of us had suspicions because you heard the rumors," Matheny said. "But guys didn't go around talking about it. I always took the perspective that I had to take care of myself. I'm very proud to be able to have my career and know I did things the right way in my mind.

"But in the same breath, I don't know where other people are coming from, what made them make the decisions they made. It wasn't my job to judge them. I do know, for the good of the game, there needed to be a system in place to help be accountable."

St. Louis Cardinals OF Jon Jay has only two hits in his last 37 at-bats. Right-handed-hitting OF Shane Robinson drew the start in center field on Tuesday, June 4, against Arizona Diamondbacks SP Tyler Skaggs, a left-hander.

Fantasy Tip: Jay seemed to turn things around in early May following some adjustments at the dish, but another skid has dropped his average to .238, after it had reached .286 just a couple of weeks ago. If this goes on for another couple of months, the Cards may be tempted to try alternatives. They could move Allen Craig to the outfield and get Matt Adams into the lineup regularly, or they could even call up Oscar Taveras, assuming that the top prospect is healthy.

SAN DIEGO • Almost as fast as you can say Jon Jay, the Cardinals center fielder has gone from table setter to run producer.

Jay, the leadoff man for much of the second half of last season and for the first month this season, has fit comfortably into the lower part of the lineup after struggling to reach base when he hit first.

Although he didn’t drive in a run Monday in the Cards’ 4-2 loss to the San Diego Padres, he had two hits and has driven in 15 runs in his past five games and had lifted his RBI total to 23, fourth highest on the club. Through Sunday he was hitting .342 with men in scoring position and .415 overall in his past 23 starts.Jay had driven in 27, 37 and 40 runners in his first three big-league seasons but is on pace for 80 or so now.

“Those numbers for his lack of production in the past were kind of false numbers,’’ Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “He takes good at-bats. You don’t see him do much different with guys in scoring position.

“I know the year before last, he was known as a guy who wasn’t driving in runs. I think he’s proved to himself that he’s able to do that when the situation presents itself.”

Jay insists he is the same player whether he hits first or whether he bats sixth or seventh.

“When I hit in the top of the lineup, I still took pride in trying to drive guys in,” Jay said. “You get more chances (now) but I’ve still got the same approach. It’s the same to me, though ... as long as I’m playing. I’m just trying to get to October. Keep piling wins up.”

Hitting coach John Mabry said Jay “doesn’t scare.”

And by that, he meant not only does the lefthanded-hitting Jay feel capable of meeting any game situation but that he wasn’t afraid to make a rather radical in-season approach to his stance.

Where he used to lay the bat on his shoulder and then had a lot of movement before the pitch was delivered, Jay switched to having his bat more perpendicular to the ground and with less movement.

“I just started doing it and rolled with it,” Jay said. “It helps me get to the ‘ready’ position a lot sooner.”

The idea actually was fomented in the offseason when Jay called Mabry, who moved up from assistant hitting coach to the hitting coach position, and said he wanted to make an adjustment.

Jay didn’t really implement the plan much until about a month into season, with veteran outfielder Carlos Beltran also offering his advice on the matter.

“It was a collaborative effort,” Mabry said. “Jon doesn’t scare from any situation. When you’ve got that trait, you have the ability to drive in those runs like he’s driving them in.”

But Mabry admitted he and Jay were taking a chance of an in-season adjustment.

“It’s always a risk, any time you do something like that,” Mabry said. “You also might get better and reach your potential. You have to understand there are times when you have to do things in order for longevity in the league and to be the best player you can be.

“During the season, it’s tough. But, again, he doesn’t scare from any situation.”

There is some psychology involved, though, Mabry said.

“As a player, you have to be the one that wants to make the adjustment,” said Mabry, who had to make several as a hitter in his career. “If someone tells you you need to make the adjustment, you don’t wholeheartedly buy in all the time.

“As a player, if you say, ‘I think I can do something a little better and I want to try this,’ then you can buy into it.

“Any time you try something new, you can leave yourself a little bit vulnerable. Whether it works out or doesn’t work out, you can always have the experience of having tried it and seeing if you liked the results — if you got to balls you weren’t normally getting to, if the ball was carrying a little farther and if you were laying off balls that you wouldn’t normally lay off.

“All those things are a sign of a positive change. And I think he saw enough of that to maybe want to do it a little more. When he talked to Carlos, and (Beltran) reaffirmed it, that gave him the nudge in the right direction he wanted to go.

“You’re kind of making a leap of faith. And when you make that leap of faith and have immediate results, you say, ‘Whoa, this might be a way to go.’ If you go that way and struggle, you might never buy into it.

Cardinals CF Jon Jay drove in his 12th run in 11 games with an RBI double in the fourth inning and also notched his first assist of the year, doubling John Buck off second to end the second. Jay is hitting .439 (18-of-41) since May 2.

St. Louis Cardinals OF Jon Jay had two hits, including a home run, and four RBIs in a victory Saturday, May 4, which marked his third straight multi-hit game. Jay has raised his average from .204 to .243 and has looked "relaxed" and "smooth" at the plate recently, according to OF Carlos Beltran. "He made some pretty big overhauls to his swing," manager Mike Matheny said. "He has been working hard to find that rhythm. It's not just simplifying – the ball sounds different coming off his bat."

Jay previously had a timing mechanism at the plate that involved several hand pumps, but he became too anxious with them at times, which threw off his timing significantly. His bat started to flatten over his back shoulder and his hands came closer to his chest during his slump. A downward loop had been created with his hands that left his swing slow and long. Jay worked with the coach staff to move his hands away from his body, raised his bat perpendicular to his shoulder and made his swing more direct.

Fantasy Tip: You'll likely find Jay's name on many a mixed league waiver wire still because of his slow start. With a retooled approach, however, he has shown signs of life and should be considered for a waiver wire acquisition if you're searching for outfield depth.

MILWAUKEE — Jon Jay homered and drove in the go-ahead run in the ninth and Allen Craig and Daniel Descalso each hit home runs to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 7-6 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.

Shane Robinson singled to center and then took second on center fielder Carlos Gomez’s fielding error off Jim Henderson (2-1) who started the ninth for Milwaukee with the game tied at 6. Robinson stole third and then scored when Jay singled up the middle, the last lead change in a back-and-forth game.

Jay hit a three-run home run in the second, Craig connected for a solo shot in the sixth and Descalso put the Cardinals ahead with a two-run homer in the seventh.

The Brewers trailed by one in the eighth when they got one-out singles that put runners on the corners. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny brought in Randy Choate. Norichika Aoki dropped a perfect bunt down as pinch-runner Jeff Bianchi raced home and slide feet first, avoiding catcher Yadier Molina’s tag. Seth Maness (1-0) came on and got the Cardinals out of the jam, getting Jean Segura to hit into a double play.

Maness earned his first major league win. Edward Mujica pitched the ninth for his eighth save.

Descalso hit his first homre of the season off reliever Tom Gorzelanny who came on for starter Yovani Gallardo. The Milwaukee right-hander looked liked he might pick up the win after Milwaukee went ahead 5-4 in the sixth.

That didn’t happen, but it kept Gallardo from suffering another loss to St. Louis. He came in 1-10 in 15 starts.

Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright gave up Segura’s two-run home run in the first, but nothing more until three runs in the sixth ended his start and put the Brewers ahead 5-4.

Gomez hit a one-out solo home run. Martin Maldonado singled, advanced on Alex Gonzalez’ single and both scored on pinch-hitter Jonathan Lucroy’s double. After Wainwright hit Aoki for the second time in the game, Kelly took over and got Segura to hit into a double play.

Wainwright went 5 1-3, allowed 11 hits, the most since he gave up 11 on Opening Day at Arizona, and struck out five.

His first three pitches of the game hurt, especially the one that snapped his streak of not allowing a home run this season.

On a 1-0 pitch, Aoki’ singled. Then first-pitch swinging Segura hit his fourth home run of the season.

Since Mike Matheny gave Jon Jay two days off — three when you add in a scheduled off day — the Cardinals center fielder has broken out of the 0-for-21 slump he was in. He reached base safely in six games since then, with a .600 on-base percentage in those games, before going 0 for 3 Tuesday.

“It definitely helps when you can go in the cage and you know you’re not playing,” Jay said. “You always want to be able to work through it, but when you get a day off like that, you go in the cage and spend as much time as you can.

“I feel better at the plate and I’m remaining positive. I know I can bring a lot to the table. It’s just a matter of doing it.”

While Jay’s swing was the issue in his drought, he’s been getting on in ways that don’t even involve taking the bat off his shoulder. Jay walked three times in two games, matching his walk total for the first 21 games of the season, and was hit by pitch twice.

“I’m just trying to have good at-bats,” he said. “If I can go out there and have good at-bats, you never know what’s going to happen. Swing at strikes, take the balls and hopefully good things happen.”

“We gave him a little time,” Matheny said before Tuesday’s game, “and the last two games certainly he’s looked different. He’s going up there with confidence.”

WASHINGTON • Center fielder Jon Jay appeared late in Wednesday’s game to deliver a pinch-hit single and end a personal zero-for-21 streak on this trip.

But for a second consecutive day, Jay was not in the starting lineup as manager Mike Matheny wanted to get him time away from the batter’s box to work out of an extended funk.

Jay’s timing is amuck at the plate. With a lot of moving parts to Jay’s swing, Matheny wanted the outfielder to refine his approach and find his timing without having to do it in games.

“I’m trying to get the timing back,” said Jay, who grounded into a double play in his final at-bat Wednesday to leave his average at .205. “Hitting is all timing with everyone. I’m trying to get that back. Obviously I’d like to be doing better, but I’m not. I know I’m going to come out of it.”

WASHINGTON -- In an effort to give Jon Jay an extended opportunity to work on his swing, manager Mike Matheny kept the center fielder out of the lineup for a second straight day. Jay is utilizing the time off to spend extra time in the batting cage, where he is specifically focusing on the timing of his complicated swing, which includes a lot more movement than most players.

"If you have that much movement, you're going to be a streaky hitter," Matheny said. "When he's hot, I think he's as hot as anybody. And when he's cold, he could be the [opposite]."

To this point it has been the latter. Though Jay left Spring Training feeling good about his timing, he has found no consistent rhythm this month. In 18 games entering play Wednesday, Jay had batted .197 with 17 strikeouts and just three walks. It's hardly the start Jay raced out to last season, when he was hitting .400 at the end of April.

"Obviously, I wish I could be doing better, but I'm not," Jay said on Wednesday. "But at the same time, I know that this is a long season and you go through this as a player. I know I'm going to come out of it.

"I feel like this year, I've had games where I've been consistent and games where I haven't been. It's just a combination of things. When things are going bad, it's bad. I haven't lost confidence in what kind of player I am and what I can bring to the table. This happens to everyone. It's not fun when you're dealing with it in the beginning of the season."

Jay compared this current stretch to the one he endured last summer, shortly after returning from a shoulder injury. As he worked to get his timing back, Jay hit .197 over a 21-game stretch from June 24-July 20. He struck out 16 times and walked seven times in 72 plate appearances.

The struggles weren't so noticeable on the stat sheet because his early-season success masked the dip in batting average. And in the end, Jay finished the season with a .305 season average.

"Jon, you forget how young he still is in his career," Matheny said. "He's still trying to figure out those keys, those cues he has to have to get him back to where he needs to be. When he gets it, it'll be fun to have him back at the top of the order."

Jon Jay went hitless in a fifth straight game Monday versus the Nationals, dropping his average to .197.
The Cardinals had their slumping center fielder bat seventh tonight. In spite of his struggles, Jay scored 14 runs in 15 games out of the leadoff spot. He'll probably move back up once he breaks out of this funk.

Jon Jay went 2-for-4 with a two-run double, a walk and three runs scored in a 10-6 win over the Pirates on Monday.

Jay entered with two homers and no doubles, which was quite a change from a 2012 season in which he finished with four homers and 22 doubles in 443 at-bats. He'll be worth playing in mixed leagues for as long as he remains the Cardinals' primary leadoff man.

Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay turned in a solid performance at the plate during Sunday's series finale against the Giants.

Jay singled and walked in the fourth inning. He also drove in two runs on a triple in the ninth inning and finished 2 for 5 with a walk and three runs scored in a 14-3 victory. It was his second multi-hit game of the season. Jay is hitting 241/.290/.414 with a home run and four RBI through his first six games.

(The Chirp) -- During Spring Training last year, we asked individual Cardinal players if they had any hobbies or special skills that made them unique. The most 'unique' answer came from center fielder Jon Jay.

Jay told us that he collects sneakers. Now, at the time that didn't really register. I mean I have sneakers, but why would I collect them? I failed to understand just how un-hip I was, as I was unaware of the subculture that exists pertaining too sneaker collecting.

Yes, I've heard the stories of kids paying hundreds of dollars for Air Jordan's and even crimes being committed in the name of possessing another persons shoe, but again, Jay collecting sneakers, simply did not register.

Now I get it.

Perusing the web is always interesting, especially when you stumble on to something that you didn't even know existed. There is a website called solecollector.com and on it right now is a featured interview with the Cardinals lead off hitter.

In the interview we learn how Jay first got into this most unique of hobbies. According to Jon, "I think I always liked sneakers since I was little. I can remember back in elementary school my best friend and I always had the "Deions" or Jordans that came out, or whatever the hot shoe was at the time. I remember getting the "Rod Woodsons" (Nike Air Bowl Trainer). The list goes on. We were always into shoes, we always liked them, you know?

Now I know.

Hopefully when the Cardinals return home, Jay will allow us to show you more of his collection. Till then, enjoy his feature interview courtesy of solecollector.com

JUPITER, Fla. -- Center fielder Jon Jay picked up a new hobby over the offseason, a hobby that he said could have a payoff on the conditioning side.

A lifelong Miami resident, Jay tried his hand at paddleboarding, a water sport in which a rider lies on a board and uses his or her arms to maneuver through waves. Jay bought two paddleboards, he said, and made regular visits to the Atlantic Ocean to experiment with them.

But what began merely as a form of active entertainment became a workout tool for the Cardinals outfielder.

"It's a great core workout, so it allowed me to work out and have a good time at the same time," Jay said. "Even before I left to come to camp, instead of being so much in the weight room, I tried to do more paddleboarding. It worked out well. I knew I would be in the weight room a lot when I got here, and so that broke the workouts up and still provided good core work."

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Long before he found himself in a holding pattern at the professional level, Jon Jay had learned the necessity of waiting his turn.

It started during his days at Columbus (Fla.) High School, when, despite being a talented teenage player, he didn't even make the junior varsity team as a freshman. He joined the varsity his sophomore year but didn't start until his junior season. Such was the reality for players trying to break into one of the Miami area's elite high school programs.

As a senior, Jay was a member of a state championship team.

He expected to wait at the University of Miami too, signing a letter of intent at a school that, at the time, had four junior outfielders. Jay didn't care. It's where he wanted to play. Circumstances -- two transfers and an injury -- created an immediate opening for him, even though Jay had already braced to wait.

He finished his collegiate career a three-time All-American.

"I didn't have the best tools out there, but I did what I needed to do as a college player to prove myself," Jay recently recalled. "I've always looked at things as a challenge. At a young age, I learned to understand how the business side of this sport goes."

It all prepared Jay for his professional path, which, after a quick climb to Triple-A, stalled because of the absence of an immediate fit with the big league club. Jay, who turned 28 on March 15, spent parts of three seasons with Memphis. When he was finally summoned to St. Louis in 2010, he bounced around the outfield, filling in as needed.

It wasn't until the Cardinals dealt center fielder Colby Rasmus at the 2011 Trade Deadline that Jay finally sensed the Cardinals committing to him. He prepares for the 2013 regular season having proven his value as an everyday center fielder, much in the same way that Allen Craig has finally found his everyday job at first base.

"It might not have been as fast as we would have liked it to have been, but we were patient and worked hard," Jay said of his and Craig's journey to the Majors. "We did what we needed to do, and instead of pouting about it, we worked every day. Now, it's nice to come into the season as a starter, even though it doesn't change how hard I work. But you know the role. You know what to expect. You know in Spring Training, exactly what you need to do to get ready."

Jay, who made a diving catch to save a run against the Mets on Thursday, solidified his credentials as a capable Major League center fielder last season. He became just the third outfielder in Cardinals history (minimum 108 games) to play errorless defense. And, as manager Mike Matheny describes it, Jay took over the task of "quarterbacking" in the outfield.

Despite playing between two outfielders -- Matt Holliday and Carlos Beltran -- with a combined 24 years of service time and 15 All-Star appearances, Jay willingly took charge.

"That's not an easy transition, especially when you have guys of that caliber around you," Matheny said. "It's hard to jump in and really take that leadership role, but I think that's part of his natural makeup. He has those leadership characteristics in him. It was something he was excited about this offseason to kick it to another level."

This spring, Jay also found guidance in guest instructors Jim Edmonds and Willie McGee. The three analyzed ballparks, hitters and approaches together in a way Jay said he never had before.

"That's what comes with being a center fielder," Jay said. "You have to take ownership. You really have to step up. I think that's what makes the great center fielders great. They play fearless out there. They take charge. They're not afraid to say, 'I messed up.'"

Jay's leadership has been evident this spring -- even off the outfield grass, as he's taken the initiative of being a buddy to prospect Oscar Taveras. He's an accountability partner of sorts, helping Taveras learn how to read hitters' swings, how to adapt his positioning and how to play with maturity.

He's been a combination of teacher and friend.

"I look up to Jay," Taveras said through a translator. "I feel more confident out there now. I like how he's aggressive out there on balls."

Matheny recently instructed Taveras to watch how Jay approached something as innocuous as shagging balls during batting practice. Matheny wanted Taveras to see the effort, yes, but also the enjoyment.

"He's doing everything short of diving in batting practice," Matheny recalled. "He loves to do this. He's out there going hard for one round of batting practice. That's his plan. He's just out there like a kid enjoying the game of baseball."

While solid on defense, Jay will again be asked to spark the offense. With Rafael Furcal out for the season, Jay is set to hit leadoff, a spot where he took half of his at-bats in 2012. He finished the year tied for fourth in the National League among leadoff hitters with a .303 average.

On a team not constructed around speed, Jay brings that element. He led the Cardinals with 19 stolen bases last season and has been testing his limits and leads throughout Grapefruit League play. The Cardinals have encouraged him to be advantageous, but not reckless. They value having him on base more than they do the extra 90 feet.

This concept of taking advantage of opportunities should come natural to Jay -- it's the same path he walked to get here.

"I knew everything would work itself out here in this organization," he said. "There was not another organization that I wanted to be with. It's paid off."

JUPITER, Fla. • Cardinals center fielder Jon Jay signed a contract with the club this morning for the 2013 season, but the conversations could have been much different if only for five more days of service time.

Jay fell that many days shy of being eligible for arbitration.

As a result, Jay fell into the cluster of players on the Cardinals' 40-man roster with less than three years of service time. Unlike an arbitration-eligible player, who can use that process to increase his salary, players with less than three years of service time have no leverage during the process.

The team can enter into negotiations in good faith, but if a deal isn't agreed upon by the deadline — which arrives in early March — the team has the right to impose a salary on the player.

Jay made $504,000 last year as the returning center fielder from a World Series team. Terms of his new deal were not immediately known, but he will be one of the highest-paid players for the Cardinals with less than three years of service time in recent years.

Jay took over as the team's leadoff hitter last season and finished the year with a .305 average and a .375 on-base percentage in 117 games. He scored 70 runs for the Cardinals.

From an article that ran in October about Jay falling just short of the arbitration rights that, for example, teammate David Freese used to command a raise from around $500,000 to more than $3 million for the coming season:

Last month, the center fielder heard from his agent that he would fall less than a week shy of qualifying for arbitration this winter. This week it was announced that "Super Two" status was given to the players between two and three years of experience with the top 22 percent of service time.

Under the agreement between the union and the leagues last November, the bar this offseason was set at two years, 139 days. Jay has two years, 134 days. Those five days mean Jay won't have access to arbitration to raise his salary for 2013 and the Cardinals will have control of him for another four seasons.

"I came into the year knowing the situation. It doesn't change anything for me," Jay said. "I don't take anything for granted. I know how this game is. You've seen it a lot with guys in other years. You're in. You're out. I work hard to stay consistent. That stuff takes care of itself."

The Cardinals are working their way through the contracts for the players with less than three years of service time who are on the 40-man roster. That group includes first baseman Allen Craig, second baseman Daniel Descalso, and starting candidates Trevor Rosenthal and Joe Kelly.

JUPITER — Jon Jay likes to compare the “aura” that surrounds the two teams on which he has spent the majority of his baseball career.

The St. Louis Cardinals’ center fielder says there is a prestige attached to the University of Miami and dismisses any notion that the Hurricanes have been tainted by the ongoing NCAA investigation and ties to a more recent performance-enhancing drug probe.

The Cardinals tradition and popularity, he says, speak for themselves and is something that he was prepared for after spending three years at Miami.“Any little thing that happens at Miami and they’re under the microscope,” Jay said. “Just like here.”

But that microscope on Miami is sharper than ever.

Jay has followed the Nevin Shapiro scandal and the recent reports that former Miami baseball players — including Brewers All-Star Ryan Braun, who was a teammate of Jay’s — received PEDs from a now defunct clinic that was operating not far from the Miami campus.

But Jay believes his alma mater gets unfairly singled out.

“It’s a combination of everything, being in the city of Miami everybody knows it’s a party town, the stuff that happened in the ‘80s,” Jay said. “Things come up all over the country and I think they kind of pick and choose where they come out. I just say, ‘be fair.”’

Jay, 27, calls the day he was offered a scholarship from Miami as “one of the top moments of my life,” one that undoubtedly includes the day he won a World Series.

“I wanted to go to UM ever since I could remember,” Jay said. “When they called it was a no-brainier. I said, ‘yes, I’m coming.’ I don’t even have to take a visit.”

That’s because Jay, who graduated from Miami-Columbus High, spent his youth attending games at Mark Light Stadium and the Orange Bowl and, more recently, has been a regular at the BankUnited Center to see the Hurricanes resurgent basketball program.

Jay became a star at UM, twice earning All-America honors (2005-06). Miami advanced to two College World Series in Jay’s three years.

Jay was selected in the second round of the 2006 draft by St. Louis and made his big-league debut in 2010. But it wasn’t until a year and a half later, when the Cardinals traded Colby Rasmus, a former first-round pick, to the Blue Jays that Jay was handed the center field job.

“I talked a lot last year about how he grew as a player and grew into the role of center field,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “He made huge strides, and over this winter he’s taken that further as far as realizing he’s in that next generation of guys coming along. I think he’s as good as any center fielder in the game.”

Jay hit .297 in 2011 and solidified the Cardinals outfield on their way to winning the World Series. But it was last year that he took charge, anchoring an outfield that included Carlos Beltran in right and Matt Holliday in left, and finishing with a .306 average and .373 on-base percentage while hitting leadoff most of the games he played.

Rasmus? He hit .223 with a .289 on base percentage.

Beltran, a 15-year veteran, including 11 in center field, lauded Jay for his leadership skills. He also believes Jay one day will join him as a Gold Glove winner.

“He’s all about learning,” Beltran said. “Every day he comes to the ballpark he comes with the mentality of getting better. I know how demanding center field is. The kid has the desire. He’s going to be a good one.”

When St. Louis Cardinals center-fielder Jon Jay left St. Louis in October after a crushing defeat by the San Francisco Giants after squandering a 3-1 series lead in the NLCS, he wasn't satisfied.

"I'm all fun, I like to have fun," Jay said Saturday from Roger Dean Stadium, the Cardinals Spring Training facility, in Jupiter, Fla. "But, when I step on the field, especially in Spring Training, it's time to work."

In 2011, his first full season in the majors, Jay tasted victory.

In 2012, he tasted defeat.

"Knowing you're so close to achieving something so great -- it hurt a lot," he said.

Now, in 2013, he has one mission -- win another world championship.

"Just having that sour taste in my mouth last year from being one win away from the World Series -- that's my drive," Jay said. "Yeah, we won the year before but you can never rest on that."

While 2011 made for fond memories, his goal is to keep them as just that as he moves forward in his career.

Jay said he believes it's all about giving yourself a chance and doing your best to put your team in a position to win. With that said, he believes this team has a good shot at re-visiting that late season magic of the past two seasons.

"We get into October with the guys we have on this team," he said. "Obviously health is a big issue, just like with every other team, but if we go out there and we do what we can do I think we have a good possibility."

A big part of that stems from what Jay believes is simply the "Cardinal Way." He said it's not about talking a big game, but about walking out on the field day after day and giving your everything.

The key for Jay is always looking back and telling yourself you can be better than that.

Over the years, the Cardinals have had many players who helped to make the Cardinal way what it is today. It's an idea that comes from generation after generation of players who excelled not only on the field, but in life as well.

"I'm just a little piece of that, I've only been here three years, going on my fourth. I'm trying to keep that legacy going now," Jay said. "Rest in peace, that's what [Stan] Musial did."

There's even one current Cardinal that Jay said exemplifies what it means to be not just good, but great -- Yadier Molina.

Molina's offensive explosion in 2012 took him a step beyond being a fantastic defensive player.

"Yadi could have rested on exactly what he did three years ago, but he's become one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball," Jay said. "He's the best catcher in baseball and that's where you want to get. You want to be the best at every facet of the game. You see him here at 5:30 a.m. every day working in the cage, working on the field. Does he need to do that? In reality, no."

Jay said what Molina does is setting an example for the younger players, himself included. That, he says, is what makes a Cardinal -- and what makes a champion.

With his success in 2012, Jay's name was mentioned in Gold Glove discussions and alongside with impressive defensive players of the past. The humble young player from the University of Miami said he refuses to let that go to his head.

"I told everyone it's nice to be mentioned in those categories, but that's not my ultimate goal," Jay said. "My ultimate goal is to win championships. I know if I go out there, stay healthy and stay in the lineup all year, then good things are going to come."

He did say it was a real honor to have been mentioned that way in his first year as a starting center-fielder.

Right now, his focus is on becoming a better all around player. That's what he believes it takes to win championships.

"Wherever I'm hitting I've really got to own that role," Jay said. "If we all do that, it's going to be a positive thing. It's not about the numbers.

"That's the way we won in 2011," he said. "It takes more than just one guy on a team. It takes all 25 guys to win."

(KSDK Sports) - Even before he took over the starting job in center field from Colby Rasmus, Jon Jay's demeanor was that of a young man having fun, who still hadn't fully come to grips with the fact that his dream of making it as a major leaguer was coming true.

It's true Jon.

And in year four of his career, it's possible that Jay understands he's arrived. The smile is still there, but there appears to be a new seriousness as well. That seriousness may be the result of unfinished business. Remember, the Cardinals were one win away from a return to the World Series. Jay wants to get back there. Bad.

Overall in 2012, Jay hit for a .305 avg. a .373 on base percentage a .400 slugging average with a .773 On Base plus Slugging percentage. That's certainly a respectable line score and already more than was expected from him coming into 2012.

MIAMI -- The passing of Hall of Famers Stan Musial and Earl Weaver saddened baseball fans across the world last week.

In Miami, baseball fans also mourned the death of legendary University of Miami head coach Ron Fraser. The "Wizard of College Baseball" passed away last Sunday at the age of 79 due to complications from Alzheimer's disease.

Fraser, who won two national championships at Miami, revolutionized college baseball and had a huge impact on the lives of young men growing up in Miami who dreamed of one day becoming Hurricanes.

"I have pictures of myself at Ron Fraser Baseball Camp on the old turf field," said Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay. "That's really where I started to fall in love with UM. Ever since then, I always wore my UM cap everywhere I went."

Jay is one of several Miami natives in the big leagues who grew up watching Fraser's Canes dominate college baseball. The 27-year-old remembers meeting Fraser as a child and spending time with him in his three years playing at Miami.

"Ron Fraser reinvented the college game," Jay said. "He's somebody that really made his mark and changed college baseball forever. It's a big loss."

Padres first baseman Yonder Alonso, who was a teammate with Jay at Miami, remembers the moments he spent with Fraser fondly.

"I got to hear a lot of stories," Alonso said. "He would come around and talk to us. Obviously, it's a sad moment for us as Hurricanes and for baseball in general. He was a great coach, one of the greatest ever in the NCAA. As a player and a fan, you feel very sorry for his passing. He was such a great inspiration for the Hurricanes, and he's in a better place now."

Alonso was one of several big leaguers who attended the second annual Jon Jay Celebrity Bowling Challenge at Lucky Strike Lanes in Miami Beach on Saturday. Cardinals infielders David Freese and Daniel Descalso, Astros infielder Tyler Greene, Phillies outfielder John Mayberry, White Sox outfielder Blake Tekotte, Orioles catcher Luis Exposito and Nationals first baseman Chris Marrero were just some of the nearly 30 baseball players who came out to support Jay as he raised more than $30,000 for the Boys & Girls Club of Miami-Dade.

"All those people are good people," Jay said. "I try to surround myself with good people. I can't thank them enough because without them, this event wouldn't be possible."

Jay often takes the opportunity to give back in his hometown. Last year, Jay's Bowling Challenge raised more than $25,000 for Chapman Partnership, a local group that helps Miami's homeless. This year, Jay decided to give back to a place that is very special to him.

"The Boys' Club is really where I grew up," Jay said. "It's where I played ball and went after school. That's a place that had a big impact on me, and I just want to provide the same opportunity for other kids."

Jay, who hit .305 and played stellar defense for the Cardinals last season, is pleased with how the Celebrity Bowling Challenge has grown and hopes to continue his charitable efforts for years to come.

"We're excited about it," Jay said. "Last year, it was kind of put together quickly, but this year, we were able to plan it with a little more time and it's been successful. I'm so happy for the support the community has given me. This is where I was born and raised. I wouldn't be where I am without a lot of people that are here today. It's nice to get everyone together and have a good time for a good cause."

Jon Jay, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder and Miami native, will host his 2nd Annual Celebrity Bowling Challenge. Proceeds will benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade to support its many positive programs for 10,000 area youth.

Along with other Major League Baseball stars, star athletes and celebrities, Jay will bowl with attendees during the fun-filled fundraising event. The evening will include red carpet arrivals, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, exciting bowling matches and more. Sponsorships are available.

“We’re very thankful to Jon Jay for choosing Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade to receive proceeds from this fun event,” said Alex Rodriguez-Roig, executive director of Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade. “With the efforts of individuals such as Jon, we continue to make a difference in the lives of many area youth.”

“I played baseball at the Boys & Girls Club for years, so I’m thrilled about the opportunity to give back to an organization that has meant so much to me,” said Jay.

ST. LOUIS -- Both Matt Holliday and Jon Jay, bothered by nagging injuries during the 2012 season, said this weekend that they are confident that there are no lingering effects from their respective issues.

Though Holliday never went on the disabled list, he was bothered by back tightness at various times last year. Holliday still insists that "it wasn't that big of a deal," though Cardinals manager Mike Matheny has identified Holliday as one of the players he will be more proactive in sitting in order to reduce the chance of injury this year.

Holliday's winter workout regimen has included therapy and strength exercises that have specifically targeted his lower back.

Jay did have a stint on the DL due to a left shoulder strain sustained when he ran into the outfield wall. Issues with that shoulder lingered for much of the season, though Jay on Sunday declared himself "100 percent."

He had his shoulder looked at by the club's medical staff before heading home for the winter, and everything checked out as it should have. That allowed Jay to then undertake a normal workout program.

Jon Jay, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder and Miami native, will host his 2nd Annual Celebrity Bowling Challenge. Proceeds will benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade to support its many positive programs for 10,000 area youth.

Along with other Major League Baseball stars, Jay will bowl with attendees during the fun-filled fundraising event. The evening will include red carpet arrivals, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, exciting bowling matches and more. Sponsorships are available.

“We’re very thankful to Jon Jay for choosing Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade to receive proceeds from this fun event,” said Alex Rodriguez-Roig, executive director of Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade. “With the efforts of individuals such as Jon, we continue to make a difference in the lives of many area youth.”

“I played baseball at the Boys & Girls Club for years, so I’m thrilled about the opportunity to give back to an organization that has meant so much to me,” said Jay.

Cost/Sponsorships: Individual tickets: $450 per bowling team (five guests will be matched with a celebrity) and $100 per person (singles will be randomly matched with other single entries/celebrities.)

Sponsorships: World Series Sponsorship ($5,000): Corporate/logo recognition on all marketing materials, corporate signage and the opportunity to include corporate products and/or literature during the event, 12 autographed baseballs by Jay and all MLB players in attendance, two bowling teams (10 people total)Extra Innings Lane Sponsorship ($1,500): Corporate/logo recognition on all marketing materials, the opportunity to include corporate products and/or literature during the event, one bowling team (five people)

How: For sponsorship or additional event information, call Tom Hagan at CAA Sports at 212-277-9000 or thagan@caa.com. To purchase individual tickets and more information: visit www.jonjaychallenge.com.

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